2019 Volume 2019 Issue 128 Pages 24-37
In this study, I focused on the production methods of an agricultural cooperative sales business, primarily the case of pear sales in suburban wide-area agricultural cooperative mergers. I conducted research based on a literature review and data collected in a survey about pear sales by the Saitama Prefecture Nansai Agricultural Cooperative (JA Nansai). This is a case study of an agricultural cooperative that was part of a county-level wide-area merger 20 years ago. By referring to previous research, I aimed to clarify the current situation and problems of agricultural cooperative sales regarding pear production areas, and to determine the manner and continuation of sales in a nearby city (wide-area merger) agricultural cooperative in the future.
The main points revealed by the example agricultural cooperative in this research were that the reduction in the number of farmers and the reduction of the cultivation area are major tasks, and the idea of shifting to direct sales rather than market shipping has become dominant. The second point, supported by the regional and historical background, was that the individuality of businesses before the merger in each area became clearer. The third point was that cooperative sales are effective for both producers and the community.
