The Providing Measures of Vegetables and Fruits for Food Service Industries by Wholesalers in Wholesale Markets

This paper is a study on the measures to provide vegetables and fruits for food service industry by leading wholesalers in wholesale markets. Conclusion is as follows: 1) The supply for food service industry by these wholesalers started from 2000's, and as yet has a small market share in these companies but is increasing rapidly. 2) These wholesalers fix the monthly sale price for the previous month and get the weekly order from the previous week from food service industries. Both the sale price and quantity to food service industries are decided in the longer span than large scale retailers which fix the price a week before and order the previous day. 3) Some wholesalers sell vegetables and fruits through secondary wholesalers, others sell directly to food service industries. In the case of the latter, wholesalers conduct the delivery function by themselves. 4) These wholesalers procure vegetables and fruits mainly from agricultural cooperatives because agricultural cooperatives are the main suppliers for wholesale markets and can build trace back systems easier than middlemen. 5) The procurement of vegetables and fruits is classified into contract dealing and spot dealing. In the case of contract, wholesalers fix price and quantity at planting period. But it is very risky for wholesalers to procure all vegetables and fruits by contract, so wholesalers partially purchase from spot markets. Even in the case of spot, wholesalers procure vegetables and fruits from suppliers which can assure the traceability