This paper clarifies understanding of wholesale markets established at source areas through a case study of apple growers in Shan Dong Province, China. The results of fieldwork investigations are as follow. Although the establishment of source-area wholesale markets has contributed to development of effective apple marketing, problems still exist. As the market information function is not yet fully effective, prices determined by supply and demand are not available to dealers. In this case, control by dishonest agents means that transactions are often unfair and markets are not trusted. For part-time apple growers who live near markets, transactions at source wholesale markets can increase their income. However, growers who live far from markets have to deal directly with tradesmen and pay to have their apples stocked. Furthermore, for growers who also sell at consumer wholesale markets, better profits are achieved if they form themselves into a single cooperative group and sell cooperatively. The paper concludes that it cannot be said that source-area wholesale market transaction has brought apple growers the best profits. It is likely that a rational approach in which growers organize themselves will lead to further development of apple production sources while also ensuring an increasing income for growers.

抄録全体を表示

This paper analyzed the changes of farmer character under the progression of a plantation produce system for vegetable ventures in the Laiyang Region of China. The research clarified that the labor, mostly female, working at plantation can be divided into three types: daily manager, part time labor working over 200 days per year, and temporary labor, who were farmland lending farmers, local farmers or vegetable farmers before becoming temporary. The farmland lending farmer was dominant because of priority employment policy by ventures, with labor from remote places increasing gradually. Changes of farmer character was noted as some turned to plantation labor or contract plantation holder, maintaining relationships to ventures; others turned to intermediaries or vegetable farmers who are now facing to new markets or buyers instead of the above mentioned ventures. Regardless of change, no effect on income was found. However, part time farmers and farmers who lost land in the specialized period occurred with the progression of plantation. Further research should focus on farmers who completely retired from farming but continue to work in ventures.

抄録全体を表示

マダガスカルの総農家数の約80%を占める小規模稲作農家170万戸の大半が、集落内の産地集荷業者や大都市の少数大規模卸売業者の傘下にある地方集荷業者に対して籾の低価格販売を余儀なくされている。それは、稲作農家が集落内の産地集荷業者に生産・生活資金の前借をして青田売りを強いられるからであり、また、市場販売するにも輸送・貯蔵手段がなく、市場情報を利用することも不可能な閉鎖的取引システムの中で価格交渉力を持たないからである。このような状況だが、多くの地域で農民を支援する農村組織はない。従って、米の生産性は低く、貧困は農村地域にはびこったままである。しかし、2000年代、主にフランスやアメリカの組織が農協を農民の生産・販売条件を改善する目的で導入している。そこで、本研究では、この新しい農協の諸機能を検討し、農民の利益を守る為どのような改善を必要としているのかを明らかにした。研究対象はアラトラとブングラバ2県の全ての農協と、フランス・アメリカ型両農協管内の80農家とした。両県は最大市場の首都へ米の総供給量の30%と10%をそれぞれ供給する主産地である。分析結果、農協が、(1)総集落数の1%未満をカバーし、組合加入率が2調査地域で農家数の3%と2%とわずかであること、(2)販売事業に利用する輸送・貯蔵手段を有していないこと、(3)収穫期に集荷し端境期の米価上昇時に地方卸売業者へ販売する、単なる商人的な機能を有していること、が明らかになった。このように農協の存在意義が小さいのは、農協の機能が組合員の期待やニーズに適合していないことによる。農民の生産・生活条件を改善するには、農村の米市場で公正取引が緊急に確立されることが必要である。それには、当該地域条件に適合した農協事業が必要とされる。農協は事業を改善するため、(1)農民が産地高利貸業への依存を回避でき、農民の生産・生活費を保障する金融事業に取組むこと、(2)共同販売事業によって得た収入を慎重に運用すること、(3)籾の集荷に直接買取り制よりも委託制を導入すること、(4)農家に最低の手取り価格を保障するような公正取引産地卸売市場の設置にかかわること、などが必要である。

抄録全体を表示

To support farmers' organizations to become self-sustainable in commercialization, the Colombian government carried out in the 1990s a "regional agricultural marketing plan". In the Cauca Valley Province, 19 farmers' organizations were supported but only 3 of them became self-sustainable. The factors that caused the plan to fail were many: 1) Some farmers organizations were not established in the farmers' best interests, but for the support organizations, therefore the farmers' participation was low. 2) Because farmers did not get credit or supply of materials from the organizations, they did not feel the organizations were important. 3) The farmers did not have enough experience to manage the organizations and they were not able to achieve the commercial plan. 4) Because the settlement plan was long, the organizations' funds were insufficient to pay the farmers early. 5) The farmers were borrowing some credit and supplies and getting quick repayment from a middleman, therefore they were tied by this informal agreement, and could not sell to their own organizations.

抄録全体を表示

Over the last 20 years in the south-western part of Colombia, several strategies have been attempted by public and private organizations to help farmers in agricultural marketing. As a result, many farmers' organizations, including limited societies, cooperatives and associations, have been formed. However, because of market problems, especially the lack of efficient market channels and unstable prices, these have not been successful. In this research, a new strategy, namely the productive alliance, an alliance between farmers' organizations, an export company as well as public and private rural development organizations, which has been carried out since 2000, with export-oriented hot chili pepper, is evaluated to identify its advantages and limitations, its impact in the improvement of the small farmers' socio-economical conditions and its possibility of replication. The results indicate that the productive alliance is an advantageous strategy because the farmers have a profitable and price-stable marketing channel and technical assistance, while the export company has a fixed raw material procurement system. However, because of the limitation in the size of the crop area, in accordance with the quota determined by the export company, the number of farmers and the cultivated area are still limited and the improvement in socio-economical conditions is still low. Analysis of the productive alliance strategy shows that it can be replicated in other regions and with different crops, although it is not an easy process to carry out, because it depends on the will of all the members of the productive chain: farmers, technical assistance institutions and traders.

抄録全体を表示

This paper analyzes the development of export to the U.S.A of the traditional Japanese food, konnyaku, examining its export potential. The data is based on field work in Los Angeles, California. First, at Japanese mass sales stores, the stock of the expensive konnyaku products is sold in the same way as in Japan. Second, the American consumers expect functionality and effect for konnyaku as a food product. Third, in the food service industry, cooking which utilizes konnyaku is offered at Japanese restaurants, but the quantity is limited at present. In the future, it will be necessary to establish product and cooking methods better suited for the American market.

抄録全体を表示

The quality of wine is greatly influenced by terrior, which means the natural features of vineyard. Moreover the AOC system, which requires the wine brewers to keep traditional methods, makes it difficult to improve the quality of a wine beyond its terrior. Therefore, the rank of the chateau classified by quality of its wine becomes fixed, and has become a special feature of the competition between wine makers in Bordeaux area. Under such a competitive condition, every wine related industry in the Bordeaux area chooses a marketing strategy to improve the competitive power of the entire Bordeaux wine industry rather than to improve its own position within the Bordeaux wine industry, although there are large differences among the chateau in Bordeaux.

抄録全体を表示

This paper clarifies the necessary conditions for the development of rice contract cultivation in the Mekong Delta through study of the process from contract approval to contract execution in the An Giang province. The following three points are the investigation results. (1) The development condition of rice contract cultivation is difficult in the situation in which the advantage of purchase value cannot be eliminated due to transportation and the high quality costs. It is necessary to substantiate the contract in parallel with the market development of high quality rice. (2) It is necessary to strengthen the content of contract cultivation gradually, starting from an agreement to use the market circulation route and corresponding to the maturity of the market condition of high quality rice. (3) In the contract cultivation of A company and the farmer, A company develops an original sales route and achieves the high price sales of Japonica rice compared with a general rice. The quality is maintained through cultivation management guidance. As a result, the farmer's burden increases in areas of cultivation management and shipping, but it a mechanism to be able to reward their efforts. The experience of A company meets the requirement of contract cultivation and it is a case of reference to the development of the contract cultivation of high quality rice in the Mekong delta at the present stage.

抄録全体を表示

The conclusions of this paper focus on the change of transaction zone between cropping areas and nomadic areas of Inner Mongolia after an environmental protection policy is executed. It also relates to the case when land using and stock raising management patterns, such as production infrastructure, domestic animal constitution, management scale and feeding supplies, were changed as well.

抄録全体を表示

In response to strict rules regarding the proper disposal of agricultural waste plastic, disposal companies that had operated for many years have begun to go bankrupt while another type of new company is emerging. This has a great influence on the structure of collection and the management of the disposal. Further, an important change has occurred in the public administration of this industry, with subsidies for the proper disposal of waste plastic. Previous research has not considered the current disposal management system and the competition of the existing and emerging companies. Therefore, this paper describes the severe competition in areas like Kumamoto Prefecture and the implications for the farmers. The results found that dealing with disposal is possible in Kumamoto Prefecture, but there has not been competition in waste plastic disposal business. While the higher disposal fee for farmers and JA co-ops has been reduced due to the competition, the processing level has also been reduced, with little of the processes material recycled and most exported. Therefore, both the conventional companies are facing unstable conditions. The committees of prefecture and towns, which have the function of decision-making and promotion of proper disposal activities, are pushing out "responsibility of discharger" and reducing their supports.

抄録全体を表示

In the present study, we focused on Green-Tourism in the developed and rural areas of Shang Hai, China. We studied the conditions which promote Green-Tourism and tourism agriculture and the present status of different types of tourism agriculture, as a case study to analyze the activation of rural areas and the present problems in the development of Green-Tourism in China. Tourism agriculture in large cities of China plays important roles, as well. First, it can preserve the local culture and coordinate activation of local economy. Second, it can improve farmers' incomes, and increase the agricultural goods supply into cities. Third, there are multiplier effects between agriculture and tourism business. And fourth, it can contribute to the development of agriculture industrialization by introducing new farm management system. However, there are problems which can be pointed to regarding Green-Tourism in China. First, the day-tripper Green-Tourist is more numerous than the lengthier overnight or extended-stay type, so it is very difficult to develop a tourism-industry for the lengthier stay form. Second, the tourism-industry practices greatly depend on the seasons. Finally, the individuality of countryside and agriculture has not been untapped.

抄録全体を表示

This paper examines the effect of sugar policy in sugar export countries to support domestic sugar production and export. The investigation in this paper indicates that various policies enable sugar export countries to continue domestic sugar production when global prices dip below production costs. The resources for the compensation of the gap between the price in the world market and the production cost appear to be the lifted price in the domestic market of export countries and public investment loosely disciplined. This paper concludes by asserting that border protection, various supply control measurement and public investments in sugar export countries could have trade distorting effect.

抄録全体を表示