都市近郊水田地帯における離農構造

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the structure of farming abandonment in paddy field areas in the suburbs since the latter half of 1980s focusing on the labor market, work structure, family structure, and landownership structure. The conclusions are that: 1) Class fluctuations have become sharp since 1990s through a land market and contract farmings. As a result, farm land and farm production is being concentrated in the hands of a small number of scale expanding farmers. 2) A change in the labor market is behind the sharp class fluctuation. The labor market in Ryugasaki is in the process of transition from Tohoku type to Kinki type. The Tohoku type is one in which the labor market has many low wage labors, while the Kinki type is one in which the labor market does not have low wage labor. There are both low wage labor groups and high wage labor groups in the male members which were born since 1945 in this area. 3) There are the largest number of households abandoning farming in the group of farm households that includes the male members born from 1945 to 1954 (Group A). The number of households abandoning in the group of farm households that includes the male members born from 1955 to 1964 (Group B) are less than Goup A. This seems to be because of the fact that although the parents of Group A are in the process of retiring from farming, the parents of Group B, which includes the male members born from 1926 to 1934, have been continuing to farm by contracting out the main work on their farms to other farmers. The number of households abandoning farming in the group of farm households (Group C) that includes the male members born from 1935 to 1944 are few. This is for the reason that this generation must continue to farm because the wages available in the labor market which it is belong to are low.