An analysis on hog and pork marketing in the Ryukyus : Functional and institutional approaches (Department of Agriculture)

The objectives of this study were to analyze the present status of hog and pork marketing in the Ryukyus. Functional and institutional (people) approaches were utilized in describing hog and pork marketing processes and in analyzing their problems. Some functions are necessary and must be performed by someone if the marketing organization is to fulfill its task of getting hog and pork to the consumer. A particularmiddlemanmay be eliminated, but the functions he was performing still must be done. Keeping this idea in mind help in evaluating various proposed schemes for improving marketing. Marketing efficiency can be increased by reducing the waste effort accompanying the performance of particular marketing services by too many slaughterers. From the analysis, we notice that, even though a slaughterer is not used, that slaughterer's functions still remain to be performed. It is possible toeliminate the slaughterer,but it is not possible toeliminate the functions of the slaughterer.By introducing cooperative associations and establishing central hog and/or meat market, the role of slaughterer in hog and pork marketing will become less important. There is no cooperative shipping associations today, as a result, many of producers dispose of their small lots of hogs to slaughterers. However, the establishment of cooperative shipping associations and central hog and/or meat market, these small producers to pool their hogs with those of other farmers, and it is feasible for them to ship to the central market. Consequently, the cooperative shipping associations make deep inroads into the slaughterer's business in various sections of the islands, and many slaughterers are forced to discontinue their operation