ISHS Acta Horticulturae 135: VII Symposium on Horticultural Economics, XXI IHC
RECENT DEVELOPMENT OF HORTICULTURE IN JAPAN- WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO LOCALIZATION, MARKETING AND FARM MANAGEMENT OF GREENHOUSE FARMING- |
| Author: | T. Kawano |
| Abstract:
During the past two decades from 1960 to 1980, the greenhouse farming has developed drastically in Japan. The acreage of the greenhouses, including plastic houses, has expanded from 1 707 ha in 1960 to 31 730 ha in 1979. By type of houses, glasshouses from 296 ha to 1 501 ha, and plastic houses from 1 411 ha to 30 229 ha respectively. As to localization, the producing areas have spreaded from southern warmer areas, as Shikoku and Kyushu, to northern cooler ones, such as Tohoku, Hokuriku and Hokkaido, where greenhouse farming could hardly be developed ever before. The localization factors of such greenhouse development are: (1) the betterment of transportation systems as highways, ocean ferry routes and the like, (2) supply of new covering plastic materials and fuel for heating, (3) progress of cultivation techniques inside the greenhouse, and (4) demand for out-seasonal products. Due to the greenhouse products, demand-supply structure for vegetable, as tomatoes, strawberries and melons, has changed and all-year-round supply without import has been achieved. Thus, greenhouse products have been playing an important role in demand-supply adjustment and price stabilization, both by season and by region. Though there are some criticisms toward the greenhouse production from resource use, Japanese greenhouse farming has been developing and greenhouse farm managements can still maintain their profitability by introducing cost-saving technology. | |
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