イ草の産地移動とその要因

Abstract

The rush production center had changed from Okayama to Kumamoto during the 1960's. The change, which was a movement from naturally blessed area to unblessed area, stemmed from socio-economic factors. Neighboring the rush production center in Okayama, Mizushima industrial area has constructed and begun operations since the 1960's. It rapidly expanded job opportunities in the area, rush farms gained more parttime job opportunities and more increases in part-time income. Provided this absolutely better alternative than rush production emerged, the downside of profitability in rush production had made many farms give up rush production in sharp response to small damages and price fluctuations, not increase labor productivity by the adoption of machinery. The remainder had downsized the management to the one family labor might operate. Thus, the rush production center in Okayama had recessed. On the other hand, the new rush production center in Kumamoto, where there were Neither alternative farm products and part-time job opportunities, has increased labor productivity and expanded the scale of farmland by the adoption of mechanization. So rush production drastically has increased in Kumamoto. An increase of fixed cost in rush production has made other production areas shut out and the share of Kumamoto be concentrated. This movement to the unblessed area has caused the deterioration of rush, it has been made possible by the peculiar consumption patter that demands of rush products has been shifted to low quality products.