A Research on Transformation of the Federation System of Agricultural Cooperatives in Japan

Research Project

Project/Area Number	08660274
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Agro-economics
Research Institution	The University of Shiga Prefecture
Principal Investigator	MASUDA Yoshiaki The University of Shiga Prefecture, School of Environmental Science, Associate Professor, 環境科学部, 助教授 (80173756)
Project Period (FY)	1996 – 1997
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1997)
Budget Amount *help	¥1,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000) Fiscal Year 1997: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000) Fiscal Year 1996: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Keywords	Agricultural cooperatives / Marketing / Wholesale Markets / Keizairen / Super Markets / Direct Marketing / Federation System of Cooperatives / 青果物 / 全農 / 中央卸売市場 / 直販
Research Abstract	Agricultural Cooperatives in Japan have made marketing activities with their three stories federation system. Although the system has been supported by some institutions and laws, changes of marketing circumstances made the system transform to more suitable-one. Keizairens are not so suitable marketing firm to sell agri-products into cities because of their lack of information on the goods itself, the process of producing, and consumption of their products. Being "middle" in the marketing channel is the reason of Keizairens' weakness. "Selling directly" will also become a principle of agri-products marketing of agricultural cooperatives. As each story of the system will sell directly to users, competition will become a another rule in the system as well as regulation.