This paper deals with the role of Nakano City Agricultural Cooperative Association, which participates in the production and shipping out of major cash cops. The results are summarized as follows:
Apple production began to decrease since the middle of the 1960's in Nakano City, because of the stagnation of apple consumption and the desease of apple trees. However, the production of peach, kyoho-grape, enokitake-mushroom, asparagus, and peony increased largely fulfilling the fall in fruit production. Now these crops are cultivated as major crops here. Because of the decrease of apple production cooperative spraying groups had to change their nature and the scale of each cooperative spraying group has become smaller.
Since the late 1970's, new apple varieties began to be produced. Consequently, the apple production has been increasing again in Nakano City. Conversely, peach and peony production began to decrease, affected by the fall of market prices in the early 1980's.
The Nakano City Agricultural Cooperative Association has organized 23 farmer's group calld
bukai in association with each cash crop, since the farmer's variegated opinions how to produce and ship out had to be under control. Large scale facilities and equipments for cooperative production and shipping out were installed by the Nakano City Agricultural Cooperative Association, and the
bukai manages and operates these for their needs. The
bukai for each cash crop is playing a leading part in the production and sale of each cash crop. Especially, the
bukai for enokitake-mushroon and also that for kyoho-grape have a great leadership. These two groups are very active by paying much attention to market prices.
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