Emergence of large-scale greenhouse farms as a main figure of protected cropping in Japan
2009
Yamada, M.(Aichi-ken. Agricultural Research Center, Nagakute (Japan))
In many crops, large-scale farms with greenhouse size of 1 ha and more emerge as a main figure of protected agriculture in Japan. In this paper, present state of large-scale greenhouse farming in main crops was investigated and future course of the business was discussed. 1. A survey conducted in this study found 117 large-scale greenhouse farms in Japan, 76% of them are for vegetable productions and others are for cut and pot flowers. In large-scale greenhouse farms of vegetables, tomato emerged remarkably in the last decade. 2. Large-scale greenhouse farms operate in some specific areas, where production conditions of climate and supporting policy, which local government provided, are favorable. 3. Corporate firms, which found potential of profitable business in greenhouse tomato production, entered the business with a high technology hydroponic system. Area of their facilities became bigger year by year, in order to attain benefit from economy of scale. However, the profitability for a corporate business is not so big. On the other hand, areas of family-farms introducing the large-scale greenhouse remain 2 ha at most. Number of large-scale greenhouse farms concentrates some specific areas, because the locale agricultural policy encourages business of the farm substantially. 4. There are two problems for promoting large-scale green house farming as leading figure of protected agriculture in the near future. Namely one is to cut down construction cost of the greenhouse and the other is to improve technology enabling more yield and quality of produce. In addition, administrative measures to promote large-scale farms are necessary.
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