THE PRODUCING CONDITIONS OF INDUSTRIAL TOMATOES IN ATSUMI, AICHI PREFECTURE, JAPAN

Abstract

In this paper, the author intends to clearify the producing conditions of industrial tomatoes in Atsumi, one of the highest agricultural income areas. He considers mainly two aspects of the conditions of industrial tomato production. One is the demand phase of tomato processing firms in the agricultural products' market. The other is the conditions of industrial tomato rearing farmers in the regional circumstances of agriculture. In addition to these, he considers the conditions of the connection between the processing firms and farmers. The context in this paper is summerized as follows (1) As for the movement of tomato processing firms in 1970's after the period of “the liberalization of capitals transaction and of trade” on tomato processing, it is characterized by the participation of big food companies into the distribution of processed tomatoes. New comers has contracted the production of tomatoes to small-scale firms. As a result, marketing share of tomato products by each tomato processing maker has been changing little by little, but the industrial tomato collecting zone by each maker has not almost reorganized in this period. (2) New comers handle tomato juice and mixed tomato juice only. The materials for tomato juice and mixed tomato juice depend on the domestic products. Tomato juice and mixed tomato juice are processed through the system of season packing. Summer has the peak of demand for tomato products, so it is essential for tomato processing firms to produce their goods for sale as early as possible in order to catch more profit. (3) The industrial tomatoes of Atsumi can be collected at the earlist season in this state. Most of them are harvested and shipped to processing plants in July. A tomato processing firm has developed his policy and efforts through the regional council of industrial tomato rearing promotion, and has been input the commission and the special bounty for shipment in July in order to realize the sale of new manufactures in summer season. (4) It is said that farmers in Atsumi keep one of the highest agricultural productivity areas in Japan. Its agrarian income per 10 ares is 331, 000 yens yearly as of 1975. Of course it is realized with the input of lots of subsidy from the national government, the irrigation system of Toyogawa water, and farmers' efforts. In this agricultural region, major crops are radish for pickles in fall and winter, cabbage in fall and winter, the forced chrysanthemum, which is cultured in horticulture with lighting, in winter, chrysanthemum in spring, and melon of horticulture in summer. The tendency of their price move ment in wholesale market are at higher level but so unstable. Industrial tomatoes are cultured through the contract farming between farmers and firms, and their prices are kept at lower steady level. So that industrial tomatoes cannot be made major crop, but minor crop. (5) According to the data of farm economy in the Takagi district, Atsumi, the industrial tomato rearing farmers are characterized as the full time farmer who plants no tobacco, not so much cabbage and the lesser melon in horticulture, but cultivates rice for themselves in paddy fields, a lot of radish in field, and more the forced chrysanthemum with horticulture and lighting. (6) We have to take the notice that the harvest season on agricultural calender of industrial tomatoes is forced to shift to July and August by the planting of major crops in August and September. This shifted agricultural calender of industrial tomatoes can be also utilize by tomato processing firms. After all, tomato firms can succeed in gathering the rather cheap materials through the contract farming in Atsumi, one of the highest agraian income areas in Japan.