Causing agricultural crisis in Aomori Prefecture [Japan]: Management break down of the rice farming and apple farming under the WTO frame work
2008
Uno, T.(Hirosaki Univ., Aomori (Japan). Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science)
The producer's rice price has been decreasing under the circumstances of the over production of rice and moreover, 8 million tons of the Minimum Access Rice has been imported to Japan from U.S.A., China and so on under the WTO Frame work. Consequently many rice producing farmers have been compelled to do non agricultural jobs and to grow the upland crops on the paddy fields. Many farmers have been suffering from hardship due to low prices of their products as a result of intense competition and decreasing government supports. Rice farmers businesses in Aomori Pref. have been operating in the red during the last 8 years. It may become impossible for rice farmers in Aomori Pref. to produce and reproduce rice in future. On the other hand, half of the apples in Japan are produced in Aomori, and about 20% of these apples are used for processing and are sold at very low prices. In 1990, the Japanese government sanctioned unlimited imports of apple juice. In 2004, Japanese imports of condensed apple juice amounted to 94,000 tons, and imports of apples and apple juice were equivalent to 700,000 tons of raw apples. 50% of the Japanese imports of condensed apple juice come from China. The prices of apples used for processing have fallen around 60% or more, while the prices of apples themselves have been decreasing. Thus, the incomes of apple farming businesses have decreased about 50 %, from 317,000 yen per 10 a in 1990 to 157,000 yen in 1999. This has caused grave hardship for farmers. Many apple farming businesses are operating in the red. More severely, recently the prices of the oils, fertilizers, agricultural medicines, machines and other materials have been rising rapidly. Therefore it will become increasing difficult for apple farmers in Aomori Pref. to produce and reproduce apples in future.
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