open access

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/63670

The Future of the Hokkaido Dairy Industry during the Period of Food Shortages

日本語

2009-02-27

北海道農業経済学会

北海道農業経済研究

14(2)

35-48

The trade negotiations between Japan and Australia which is proceeding now will create big problems. If Japan agrees with Australia concerning trade liberalization, in the short term, Japanese Agricultural Industry will collapse because of low priced food from Australia. In the long term, Japan will be threatened by an unstable food supply owing to drought in Australia. The difference in the competitiveness Japanese farms and Australian ones depends mainly on farm size. However, Australian farms have some barren soil, so the difference is significantly reduced. The average size of a dairy farm in Australia is only 3.3 times that of one in Hokkaido. It is not good for dairy farmers in Hokkaido to give up competing with oversea producers owing to farm size because they will not make effort to improve their farm businesses. It is very important for dairy farmers in Hokkaido to change their farming system. Firstly, they have to change the dairy farming system from a breeding system where they feed a lot of grain from oversea to their cows in their barns all year around to a grazing system in summer. It will reduce the cost of milk due to a lower input of labor, energy and machinery. Secondly, they have to promote the Farm Type TMR Center which produces the total mixed ration feed and supplies the feed to their members. The Center creates big farms by combining the members' farmlands. Thirdly, they have to improve the quality of milk, for example by introducing organic dairy farming. Fourthly, they have to establish an acceptance system for newcomers, so the Japanese government has to change the budget system for dairy farming.

学術雑誌論文

Version of Record

0918-9742

AN10401038