Abstract
In this paper, I investigated the trend of Unshu mandarin orange production in Ehime Prefecture, through the analysis of the production cost.
During rapid economic growth of national economy, the commercial agriculture has developed rapidly. In Ehime Prefecture, Unshu mandarin orange monoculture has become typical within upland farming. The farm income of the commercial farming was significantly influenced by the fluctuation of the market price. In order to establish the farming system the core of which is commercial production of Unshu mandarin orange, the farm household should have considerable amount of funds. Therefore, the timing of transforming the farm system differed among family farms by the size of their funds. During the period of rapid eoonomic growth, the production of Unshu mandarin orange expanded at a high rate, because non-farm employment opportunity increased quite rapidly and non-farm income of the farm household increased considerably. But the introduction and expansion of Unshu mandarin orange during this period was too late, because by this time there was already excess supply of Unshu mandarin orange. It was very difficult to transform the farm system towards commercial production of Unshu mandarin orange in the late 1940s. The pioneer mandarin producers who could change the farm system in the late 1940s gained huge amount of profit. The share of such pioneers was estimated to be less than 20% of all mandarin producers in Ehime Prefecture.
