1. Japanese Agriculture: Productivity Trend and Development of Technique
- Author
-
Toshio Shishido
- Subjects
Incentive ,business.industry ,Order (exchange) ,Manufacturing ,Production (economics) ,Agricultural policy ,Business ,Free market ,Productivity ,Industrial organization ,Agricultural economics ,Allotment - Abstract
In summary it appears that a program of synthesized supply and acreage controls probably could assist materially to (1) hold production to desired levels over the short and long run, (2) keep production from year to year within reasonable limits, (3) shift storage costs of surpluses back to the producer where they belong, (4) stabilize agricultural income by having an administered market supply-a system long used by most major manufacturing industries in our "free enterprise" system, (5) return prices to a free market determination, within the framework of administered supply control, (6) provide a continued incentive for progress in production technology on the farm, (7) permit production, over time, to shift toward the more efficient producers rather than tending to freeze allotment patterns as in the past, and (8) retain livestock and livestock products production and prices in a free market determination framework.14 While the program outlined above no doubt has its share of imperfections and costs, there is no way out of the present enigmatic situation without having some concurrent costs attached. Also, some avenues for further useful agricultural policy formulation by our profession are suggested and they are sorely needed. The need for brevity prevents giving a more detailed working model here, or mentioning various other flexibilities that might be incorporated into such a program. As John D. Black once so wisely remarked, no control program should be without re-evaluating correction mechanisms, be it a local area milk marketing order program or a national effort.
- Published
- 1961