農業機械化の経済的意義に関する研究 (第6報) 農場分散が農業機械の能率および水稲労働生産性に及ぼす影響について

According to the official survey and various reports, the productivity of rice production per unit area is quite different in every farm. This is because various factors of farm management are effecting to the production processes of rice. From viewpoint of our studies, these factors can be classified into two large groups: one of them is the economic conditions surrounding outside of farm management, the other is the inside conditions of farm management. Therefore, this report will be limited only to the analysis of the latter conditions, especially of the field situation (fragmentation or size of parcels). In this studies we have three big problems in regard to the tillable land fragmention (size of parcels) now that are effecting to the labor productivity. (1) Determination of the adequate size of parcels to use the draft cattle, utilization of small tractors and Fordson type tractors more efficiently under the present conditions. (2) Clearing up of the relationship between the labor productivity of rice production and the size of parcels of farms. (3) Consideration of the relationship between the diffusion of the small tractors and the tillable land fragmentation (size of parcels) of the villages in southern Okayama Prefecture. The data of using the draft cattle and the small tractors of problem (1) were mainly derived from our survey in Niiike Village of Okayama Prefecture, a large part of which was reported already in "Analysis of Mechanization of Japanese Agriculture" 1960, Sobun-sha, Tokyo. In addition to these data, we obtained some useful data of the utilization of the Fordson type tractors from Agricultural Improvement Section of Okayama Prefectural Office. The data of problem (2) were derived from the basic data of The Survey of Rice Production Cost surveyed by Okayama Statistical Office of Agriculture and Forestry Department in 1959. The data of problem (3) were derived from the World Census of Agriculture and Forestry in 1960. Rearranging and analyzing these basic data for our purpose, we shall conclude the result as follows: (1) The adequate size of parcels to use the draft cattle, small tractors and Fordson type tractors efficiently the area should be larger than 0.15 ha. 0.2 ha. and 0.3 ha. respectively. Therefore, the consolidation of farms are absolutly necessary in Okayama Prefecture because of the average size of parcel is about 0.1 ha.. (2) As the size of parcel increases, the working hour for rice production per unit area decreases. The yields of rice per unit area are slightly up with the increase of the size of parcels of farms. Therefore, the labor productivity of rice production is remarkably increased with the expansion of size per parcel. (3) The more the size per parcel increase, the more the rice production per 0.1 ha. and production cost of rice per koku (150 kg) decrease. (4) We can fine out the good relationship between the diffusion of the small tractors and fragmentation of tillable land (average size of parcels) in the villages in southern Okayama Prefecture.