The objective of this study was to obtain basic data, in order to discuss the type of farming in which rice is produced sustainably in rice terraces. Working hours, production costs, and income associated with rice production were surveyed on two farmers (farmer A, farmer B) in Hoshino Village, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As a result, the working hours per 10 ares for farmers A and B were 3.2 times and 2.1 times longer, respectively, than the national average. Production costs, including interest expense and land rent, per 10 ares were 1.7 times (farmer A) and 1.5 times (farmer B) higher than the national average, and labor cost accounted for a large proportion of this cost. The income per 10 ares for both the farmers surveyed was significantly high2.2 times (farmer A) and 3.8 times (farmer B) higher than the national average. This is because the farmers sold their rice products at high prices. On the other hand, the income per day for farmer A was lower than the national average, and in the case of farmer B was only 1.7 times higher than the national average, due to the long working hours. The reproducible prices of brown rice, which are the sales prices required for each farmer to produce rice sustainably, were calculated as 557 yen/kg (farmer A) and 380 yen/kg (farmer B). Actual sales prices were 333 yen/kg (farmer A) and 425 yen/kg (farmer B), and farmer B earned a high income by selling rice products at a higher price than the reproducible price. The survey results indicated that it is necessary to reduce production costs and properly determine sales prices of rice products for sustainable rice production in rice terraces. Therefore, it is important for each of the farmers to reduce labor hours and intensify sales efforts by increasing the added value of rice.
View full abstract