Conditions for fruit farmers to adopt management systems to meet new processing demands

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K05858
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 41020:Rural sociology and agricultural structure-related
• Research Institution: Hirosaki University
• Principal Investigator: YOSHINAKA SATOSHI 弘前大学, 農学生命科学部, 助教 (70548487)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 果樹作経営 / 果樹栽培管理 / 加工用原料供給 / カットりんご

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined how existing apple production operations should respond to new demand for apples, and the conditions.
Specifically, first, the relationship between the current production status and the technological system in apple production was examined, and second, the labor hours and income/expenses of the management system by introducing a dedicated garden for cut apple production were analyzed.
The results indicated that apple production management systems differ according to the degree of planting density, and that decisions are made according to the relationship with the sales channels. In addition, it was shown that the cultivation of dedicated orchards for cut apples can greatly reduce labor hours. When the transaction price is fixed by contract cultivation, it is possible for producers to adopt a cultivation system that is appropriate for the contracted unit price.

Free Research Field

農業経済学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

果樹作経営においては労働集約的な技術体系が採られるが、近年、作業労働力の不足が懸念・指摘されている。一方、果樹の消費需要も質的に変化している中で、供給との差が生じている。特に果実の加工用需要について、産地や経営体による対応が乏しい。これは、特に加工用原料単価の低さから、加工用に出荷・販売することを忌避していることが影響している。
しかしながら、労働力資源が減少していくなかで、加工用需要への対応を図っていくことも産地・経営体の存続にとって必要な対応であることが考えられる。こういった状況を見据えた農業経営の対応方向について、知見を提供した。