In 1991, a Japanese flower-wholesale company established an electronic auction system that duplicated the Dutch flower auction system. The new system did not necessarily duplicate the Dutch system completely, but joined the Japanese Mari rule with the Dutch system.Mari is a traditional and very useful method in Japan for sharing dividable goods among bidders. In Japan, flowers have conventionally been auctioned by hand-signals. The hand-signal auction is very similar to that of the English auction. More than ten years have passed since introduction of an electronic auction system, and although the new system has been extended to the 22 major auction companies, among the total 174, it has not been satisfactory for growers and buyers. This study evalutes the new auction system and clarifies the important issues by questionnaire analysis and consideration of ways of improving the auction system. The findings show that the new system has been making price and deciding successful bidding from a short-term viewpoint. But the new system is disadvantageous for big buyers. As the result, it has reduced the auction prices and spoiled the function of stabilizing price provided by big buyers. There appears the so-called Waiting Mari Strategy in the new system. The Waiting Mari Strategy is the dominant strategy used in game theory and is clearly a hindrance to efficiency of distribution.

抄録全体を表示

The purpose of the 'new wheat policy' is to resolve the mismatch between demand and the government introduced market mechanism in dealing in wheat. At present, the market mechanism appears to not function properly. Although a kind of wheat is priced low, it is produced in quantity. On the contrary, the production of a new kind of wheat which has great demand but sold at high price will not be expanded. There are three factors that obstruct the function of market mechanism and production of a new kind of wheat. These are a restriction of market price, a lack of relation between the domestic wheat market and the subsidy rank of stable wheat-product-management and the government-purchase schemes. The lack of relation relation between the domestic wheat market and the subsidy rank is the most important factor of the three. As a proportion of the subsidy to wheat farmers' income is very high in Japan, the subsidy has a bigger effect on farmers' income than the wheat market price. In order to expand both production and demand for new kinds of wheat, the subsidy rank needs to be related to the result of a bid for wheat market. In addition to the subsidy, the fundamental principle of measures for the promotion of the farming practices contributing to effective use of paddy fields is related to the result of wheat market bids.

抄録全体を表示

This paper will clarify the annual change in the exchange rates of the Japanese Yen since the 1970's with respect to the other advanced country's currencies as well as the semi-developed countries of Asia since the 1990's, along with the ultra-low exchange rate formation in the currencies of the Asian developing country since the 1990's. The paper identifies the formation of the remarkable price differentials of rice and spinach between grown in Japan and in China as being due to the ultra-low exchange rate of the Yuan. In Japan's period of high economic growth, the ultra-low exchange rate of the Yen continued under the fixed exchange rate system of US$ 1=360 yen. This forced a decrease in export prices and notably increased the competitive power of exports. Since the Plaza Accord of 1986, the Yen has been estimated almost as much as the currency value. Today, the currency values of developing countries are remarkably underestimated, which becomes the basic factor of remarkable price differential between domestic and overseas markets.

抄録全体を表示

Over the past thirty-five years, the distribution of raw milk has been expanding. This paper analyzes the joint sales of the Designated Associations (cooperatives of raw-milk producers) with respect to the supply control of raw milk, based on a case study of Iwate Prefecture. Recently the Designated Associations are not only expected to control the supply of raw milk, but also assure the balance of supply and demand in the raw milk market. The results of this study are as follows: 1) Japanese dairy farmers are currently facing new business difficulties, such as demand and supply imbalances as well as depressed prices of raw milk. The Designated Association of Iwate Prefecture has launched two campaigns to prevent market surpluses and consequent market and price instability: first, supplying raw milk to local dairy plants, and second, supplying surplus raw milk to many areas, with Zennoh, a nation-wide cooperative, undertaking this role. 2) The Designated Association of Iwate Prefecture supplied raw milk to Tokyo and farther west areas, with the supply volume accounting for over 40% of total product volume in 2001. Stabilization of prices at a low level, basically prescribed by the cost of a long-distance transport, is however, observed in Iwate Prefecture. 3) The Iwate Prefecture-based Kitafukuoka dairy plant is operated by Zenrakuren (the other nationwide cooperative). In cooperation with the Designated Associations, this dairy plant prevents demand and supply imbalances, contributing to the stabilization of raw milk prices. However, management of dairy plants with top priority to the stability of raw milk market is very difficult.

抄録全体を表示

Since the 1990s, the export of agricultural products from China to Japan has been increasing, with continued increase expected in the 2000s. The trade pattern for konnyaku, a traditional Japanese food, is no exception. This paper clarifies the following points based on an investigation of Chongqing and Shanghai Province in China. First, the authors outline the actual conditions of export by the Japanese konnyaku company. Second, the focus shifts to the Chinese konnyaku company export system. The results of analysis are as follows: The konnyaku industry in China obtains support of the local government, related organizations, and konnyaku companies, and is progressing in the development of production, processing, and distribution sectors at a quick pace. It is thought that these tendencies have a high possibility of continuing positively. The import of konnyaku is restricted under thethe present customs duty system. However, if future tariff systems are changed, there is a possibility for a rapid increase in the volume of imports. Therefore, the farm-sector, the konnyaku companies, and related organizations need to cooperate and to consider countermeasures immediately in Japan.

抄録全体を表示

The purpose of this study is to examine the results of development finance as performed by the Agricultural Development Bank of China (ADBC) in the period from 1995 to 1997. Analysis on a county in northern China was undertaken and clarified the effects of low-interest loans to poor farm households. The research focused on the micro-finance poverty reduction project and the results shows that low-interest policy loans helped the poor people with increase of their grain yield and cash income and improvement of their living conditions, which helped them to escape poverty and provided them with independence. However, since 1998, development finance has been under the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC). As ABC is developming into a commercial bank, it is becoming more difficult for poor farmers to get such low-interest loans now.

抄録全体を表示

Trading between developmental importers, who deal with frozen vegetables produced in China, is more commonly seen after the residual pesticides problem arose. The aim of this report is to clarify the promotion strategy of this trading, and to outline the reality of this strategy. On the basis of this investigation, it is obvious after this problem arose, horizontal promotion targeting the importers have been taken, as well as the vertical promotion strategy taken against the existing customers, which is conventionally seen among the developmental importers of frozen vegetable of Chinese produce. Overall, it is clear that multilateral promotion strategy has been expanding.

抄録全体を表示

In recent years, information systemization and EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) have been advanced in the Japanese perishable distribution industry. Such a trend is caused by requests on the retail side and the competition between wholesale markets. The aim of this paper is, first, to clarify the new Information Systems used in perishable wholesale markets. Second, the paper will consider what influence EDI has on the standardization of agricultural products. And third, the paper considers how information systemization in the perishable wholesale market will progress.

抄録全体を表示

A new middle class is forming in large Chinese cities. The people among this class take more and more interest in green food, which, along with its high quality and safety has also been regarded as an important strategic good in urban supermarkets. People show high expectation for such green food. However, there are still many problems; specifically that the concept of green food is not well known and therefore, resulting standards have not been established. The label identifying green foods arouses consumers' suspicion and few sales counters are available to make for convenient purchase. Finally, a reliable distribution and stocking system have not been established.

抄録全体を表示

After joining the WTO, China has employed new trading rules which include tariff reduction and trading deregulation. This has resulted in significant regional differences in international trading and substantial growth of non-nationally-owned trading companies. This forces greater competition on state-owned trading companies, which had been playing a major role in international trading before China's WTO accession. After generalizing the above situations after China's joining the WTO, this paper studies the case of Company S, a nation-owned trading company in China Shaanxi Province, analyzing the current businesses, organizations as well as human resources management under the competition accompanying China's WTO accession.

抄録全体を表示