DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL VEGETABLE-FRUIT MARKETS AND FORMATION OF VEGETABLE-FRUIT GROWING AREAS IN NORTHERN PART OF SAITAMA PREFECTURE DURING EARLY SHOWA PERIOD

Abstract

In this study the author tried to examine the trends in vegetable markets and brokers in the producing districts and to clarify how these trends affected the formation of the vegetable growing areas during the agricultural depression. Comprehensive descriptions are made about (A) nature of market places at the villages on the right bank of the Tone River, and on the alluvial fan of the Arakawa River and that of the Kanna River and (B) formation of the vegetable producing areas on the right bank of the Tone River. A-1. During the agricultural depression, production of vegetables and fruits for cash income was promoted actively in the rural communities in the northern part of Saitama Prefecture to compensate the loss of cash income due to the low market prices of silk. A-2. As a result, the following two areas were formed, reflecting physical and chemical characteristics of the soil e (a) a winter-spring vegetable area on the right bank of the Tone River and (b) a fruit and summer-fall vegetable area on diluvial tablelands. A-3. As these two vegetable areas developed, their situations in the outer fringe of suburban farming region around the Tokyo metropolitan area promoted the formation of unique distribution systems, which were characterized by dense occurrence of market places and accumulation of brokers in the producing areas. These systems caused to increase the vegetable production of individual farms and to expand the producing areas. A-4. The development of the distribution systems reflected the geographical characteristics of these vegetable-producing areas. On the right bank of the Tone River, this system developed markets which resembled a cooperative association. On the diluvial tablelands, it markets which were a market-oriented type were developed even though they were located in the producing areas. B-l. In the rural areas on the right bank of the Tone River, the intensive growing areas were resulted from the general management type (sericulture and winter-spring vegetables) which was based on the establishment of sericulture and fertile soil as well as the simple composition of vegetables. B-2. Shipping of welsh onions under the guidance of village agricultural associations contributed to expand the markets and to increase the production at the end of the Taisho period. Later increase in the production stimulated the establishment of market places run by the agricultural associations. As a result, the joint shipment system of the village agricultural associations was converted to the systems of market-at-producing-area, which would be open to brokers. B 3. Seasonality of local market places (held in the off-seasons of sericulture in this case) and the participation of peasants that were produced by the Tone River improvement works in brokerage caused an interdependent relationship between the brokers and the farms that needed multiple utilization of limited land. They worked together to develop the production of vegetables. B-4. The establishment of the system of market-at-producing-area and the activities of the brokers became a rather effective factor in increasing the vegetable production of farms in the early Showa period, when shipping and traffic means was not developed and the markets in urban places in the vicinities were immature. At the same time, the increase in the production of winter-spring vegetable combined with mulberry farming contributed to the increase in the number of brokers and the areal expansion of their activities. B-5. The vegetable farming on the right bank of the Tone River established indispensable distribution systems which included organizations of market at producing-area accumulation of local brokers. Supported by the development of munition industry in Ohta, Koizumi, Ojima, Isesaki, and the expansion of agricultural markets in rapidly expanding Tokyo, this area was cropped throughout the year and diversified its production items.