Structural Characteristics of the Japanese Black Calf Raising in the Handa Central Area of Kyushu

The objective of this study is to analyze the structural characteristics of the Japanese Black Calf raising in the Handa Central Area of Kyushu. A large scale agricultural development project is now progressed in the area that covers 4 districts such as Shonai,Yufuin,Kokonoe and Kusu in Oita Prefecture. In this study, special attention has been focused on, (1) production cost and feed utilization, (2) profitability and productivity and (3) comparative aspects with the Japanese Brown Calf raising of the Aso district in Kumamoto Pref. The data used in this study were farm records of the Kusu and the Aso districts for the period 1976-80 from the Survey on Production Cost of Japanese Calves conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFFJ). The results of this study can be summarized as follows: 1. Almost 94 percent of beef cattle producers in 1980 followed the cow-calf system of cattle raising. But most of cow-calf operations were small scale and tota1 number of cows has decreased since recently. 2. Cow-calf operaters tended to use a shorter raising period than operators in other regions up to 1 month or shorter. Calf price per kilogram was higher than Japanese Brown Calf but lower than national average level. 3. About 48 percent of the production cost per cow has been accounted for by family labor cost and it was higher than any other region. This was caused by large labor use for feed processing. 4. On feed utilization, cow-calf operators preferred to purchase crops, rice bran and wheat bran rather than commercial mixed feed. This feeding system was contrastive to other regions which largely depended on commercial mixed. The preference for crops,rice bran and wheat bran in this area seemed to be caused by their low prices. But it increased the labor hours after all, since these items were manually mixed or processed by family labor with inefficient implements. 5. In 1980, average income per cow was 148,338 yen which was higher than the Aso district (90,310 yen) and the national average level (147,477 yen). But, labor earning per day was only 2,276 yen which was higher than the Aso district (1, 512 yen) and lower than the national level (3,936 yen). Labor earning per day in this area became small in response to large labor hours, whereas income was in the highest level. 6. Cow-calf raising in this area was found to be characterized by labor intensive and capital saving methods, whereas that in the Aso district was characterized by capital intensive and labor saving methods. In labor productivity, this area was inferior to the Aso district. In order to increase the profitability and the labor productivity, cow-calf operators should make effortsto save labor hours by the scale enlargement. Also for this, enlargement of pasture and the investment of capital in farm machineries and associated implements are necessary.本稿では，広域農業開発事業が進められている九州高原地帯の阿蘇久住飯田地域の飯旧中央地区(大分県庄内，湯布院，九重，玖珠の4町)における黒毛和種子牛生産の構造的特徴を明らかにするために， (1)子牛の生産費及び飼料構造， (2)子牛生産の収益性及び生産性に重点をおいて分析してきた.分析過程において同地区の黒毛和種と阿蘇地域(熊本県)の褐毛和種との比較も行なった.資料ば1976-80年の農林水産省「和子牛生産費個表」玖珠町と阿蘇町分である.分析結果以下のことが指摘される. (1) 1980年現在飯田中央地区肉用牛生産農家の94％が子牛生産経営であり，同地区繁殖牛頭数は大分県の約3分の1を占める. しかし戸当たり繁殖牛頭数は2.3頭で零細であり，近年同地区の繁殖牛頭数は一部先進地域を除けば激しい減少傾向にある.(2) 玖珠町の子牛出荷は他地域に比べて早い傾向がある.同町のほ育・育成期間は249日であり，阿蘇町より2か月， 大分県及び全国平均より1か月も短い.一方，玖珠町は子牛単価において阿蘇町の褐毛和種と全国平均水準とのほぼ中聞に位置する. (3) 玖珠町における子午生産費構造の大きな特徴は家族労働費が非常に大きいことであるが(費用合計の48%)， これは飼料構造とりわけ飼料の調理・給与・給水作業時間が多いことに起因する.(4) 玖珠町の飼料構造の特徴は，配合錦料の購入が少なく，その代わりに穀類及びぬか・ふすま類の購入が多いこと，エンシレージ及び野生草の利用が多いことである.十分な機械設備を備えていない条件の下で，割安な穀類及びぬか・ふすま類を購入し自家混配1,512円よりは高いものの全国3,936円よりはるかに低い.子午の価格差は品種間及び地域聞の収益格差のたきな要因である.(6) 玖珠町は子牛生産において労働集約的かっ資本節約的であり，阿蘇町は資本集約的かっ労働節約的であるといえる. 1980年現在玖珠町の子牛生産の労働生産性は時間当たり440円であり阿蘇町544円より低い.玖珠町の場合今後収益性向上のためには，規模拡大のもとに機械設備投資及び粗飼料基盤拡充による省力化で，資本装備率と土地構成を高め，労働生産性の高度化を図らなければならない.一方，阿蘇町は固定資本の効率的運用による資本生産性の向上が粗飼料基盤の拡充とともに要請される