Income disparity between agricultural sector of the economy and the others has been thought as the most important problem to be solved for a further development of the Ryukyuan economy as a whole. Since the World War II income of a farmer has been around only thirty percent of that of the average worker. From this fact one can expect a high population pressure, underemployment, and, in turn, a low labor productivity on agriculture.
This problem will be solved by improving a farm organization as to produce more commercial products as well as by accelerating a speedy industrialization which is expected to absorb excess man power in agricultural areas.
From this point of view, the pineapple industry of the Ryukyus has been contributing a lot not only increasing farmer's income but also in advancing foreign trade (in which the value from export has always been less twenty-five percent of that from import) .
The remarkable development of the pineapple industry of the Ryukyus, however, would have been achieved without the indirect support offered by the Japanese government, which has been maintained through the levy of a comparatively high tariff and other extra charges on the pineapple products imported from other countries. This special treatment for the Ryukyuan pineapple products (mainly canned products), however, seems to be abandoned because of the great pressure of world wide free trade to Japan. This clearly implies that the pineapple products are now required to prepare for coming competition with those imported from other countries, especially Formosa of which products have been functioning as price leaders of the pineapple products in Japan,
In order to perform the objective, (1) keeping a good balance between processing facilities and amount of raw material, (2) training workers in processing and production levels, (3) governmental aids to facilitate needed machine and equipments in both farm and processing levels, (4) developing markets beside Japan, (5) introducing the contract production, (6) deciding kinds of final products to be specialized in the Ryukyus, (7) improving qualities, (8) standardizing raw material, (9) accepting good varieties, (10) advocating research facilities and institutions, and (11) improving information facilities and methods are the main factors to be considered carefully hereafter.
Above all, a great emphasis should be made on the cooperation among farmers, processors, farmers' cooperatives, and governmental personels for the fulfilment of the objective, on which entire economy of the country is heavily depended.
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