Significance of Sugar Crops and Prospects for Local Agriculture

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K07967
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Agricultural science in management and economy
• Research Institution: Kagoshima University
• Principal Investigator: SAKAI Norio 鹿児島大学, 農水産獣医学域農学系, 教授 (80454958)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 内藤 重之 琉球大学, 農学部, 教授 (30333397) ; 杉村 泰彦 琉球大学, 農学部, 教授 (80405662)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: さとうきび / てん菜 / 調整金 / 交付金 / 製糖 / 精製糖 / タイ / 台湾

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, the position of sweet resource crops and the sugar industry in Japan and abroad was assessed, and their prospects in the Nansei Islands were discussed.
In Thailand and Taiwan, sugarcane has already become a crop for disadvantaged areas, and sugar companies have been diversifying their business and emphasizing the public benefit of having factories because it is difficult to sustain a business based on sugar production only. Japanese refined sugar companies are also integrating their management and manufacturing processes and diversifying their businesses.
On the other hand, the sugarcane crop and sugar companies in the Nansei Islands are not able to see the prospects of the current system on their own, as its sustainability is in jeopardy. They must change to support the entire island industry, including other crops, under the taxpayer's burden.

Free Research Field

農業経済学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

南西諸島のさとうきび作や製糖業の問題については，これまで収量の増加やコスト削減などの解決策が模索されてきたが，そうした狭い範囲での検討では，砂糖消費量の減少や貿易の自由化などで，今後，調整金収入が減少する状況に対処することは困難と思われる。このような中で，本研究は，国内外の甘味資源作物・製糖業と南西諸島の分析から，地域内の他の作目や他産業との連携の中から，さとうきび作や製糖業の生き残り策を提示した。また南西諸島においてさとうきびへの依存度の低い島では，それが一部実現されていることを実証したことも学術的な意義がある。