Management of Less-favored Areas and Dispersal of Agricultural Fields by Large-scale Rice Farms: The Case of the JA Investment Agriculture Production Corporation

Abstract

Large-scale rice farms are continuing to expand in scale in Japan. However, the increase in the number and extent of these cultivated areas is considered to be problematic. Given its nature, the JA Investment Agriculture Production Corporation, in particular, has difficulty with declining investment in areas that are considered to be less-favorable for rice cultivation. A number of large-scale farms have emerged that have succeeded in overcoming such circumstances by implementing a variety of mechanisms to resolve problems arising from expanding operations, in areas that are now operating in the black.