Table Of ContentSPRINGER BRIEFS IN ECONOMICS
Liming Zhao
Survivable
Restructuring of
Vegetable Distribution
and Wholesale Markets
in Western China
123
SpringerBriefs in Economics
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/8876
Liming Zhao
Survivable Restructuring
of Vegetable Distribution
and Wholesale Markets
in Western China
123
Liming Zhao
ShanxiAgricultural University
Taigu
China
This book is funded by Philosophy and Social Science Foundation Project (Project
No. ZXSK2-1410) and Talent Introduction Doctoral Scientific Research Startup Project
(Project No.2013YJ28) of ShanxiAgricultural University.
ISSN 2191-5504 ISSN 2191-5512 (electronic)
SpringerBriefs inEconomics
ISBN978-3-662-47252-1 ISBN978-3-662-47253-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-47253-8
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Foreword
This book discusses the distribution systems offruits and vegetables in a medium-
sizedcityinWesternChinacalledHohhot.Theauthor,LimingZhao,studiedfora
longtimeatHokkaidoUniversity’sGraduateSchoolofAgriculturewhereIworked.
Uponobtaininghisdoctorateinagriculture,hereturnedtohishomecountrywhere
he now works as an up-and-coming agricultural economist at China’s Shanxi
Agricultural University.
Whatmakesthisworkstandoutfromothersisthat,firstandforemost,itisbased
on a considered and respectful survey of the local area. The survey stretches over
several months and includes multiple visits to the area itself. The scope of the
survey is large and does not just focus on wholesales, but also includes farmers,
farming groups, shipping unions, small retailers, among others. The data obtained
from this survey have been interpreted with sensitivity and from multiple per-
spectives. Dr. Zhao has reached interesting and importantconclusions inhis book.
This attitude to work is extremely important in the field of research we belong—
agricultural economics and market studies. Abstract and general discussion is of
course important in agricultural economics and markets, but equally important is
detailed research ‘on the ground.’ Agriculture is inherently dependent on natural
conditions,anditsmarketisdeterminedbytheuniqueattributesofthelocalarea—
the character of sellers and buyers and local customers—and these need to be
scrutinized on a discrete and individual basis. General theory can then be led by
these considerations to become stronger and more convincing.
This book’s other selling point is that it does not just consider commercial
activity of the wholesale market, but also analyzes trends in fruit and vegetable
production,shipmentandretailerstructures,etc.Itfollowsthedistributionoffruits
and vegetables from production to retail. The system of the wholesale market and
features of commercial activity are obviously never isolated, and are impacted by
the producers and retailers. This is why consideration of the whole process is
extremely meaningful, yet something has been missing in previous research.
The other feature of this research is that it does not look at the main coastal
metropolis areas of Beijing and Shanghai, but instead considers a medium-sized
city in Western China called Hohhot. Compared with the dramatic economic
v
vi Foreword
development of the more well-known cities, the development of Hohhot has been
gradual. It is clear that the distribution systems of fruits and vegetables have
changed alongside economic development, without a need for raising the example
of Japan. It is assumed that there will be corresponding differences in distribution
structuresbetweencoastalmetropolisesandwesternurbanareas.Butistherereally
a difference and are these differences becoming less apparent? These are
unavoidablediscussionsforthenorthwesturbanareas.Thereisnodoubtthatthese
far-reaching debates will have an influence on the distribution strategies and
development in a greater area than the one initially considered.
This book isnotonly pertinent for research into fruit and vegetable distribution
and markets in China, but is essential reading for researchers working in this field
all across the globe. I sincerely hope that this work and the ideas within will be
widely read and make a significant contribution to our field.
Riichiro Iizawa
Professor Emeritus
Hokkaido University
Acknowledgments
This book is a modification and supplement of my doctoral dissertation, whose
contents mainly come from the following published papers.
1. ZHAO,Liming“VegetableProcurementActivitiesofRetailers intheInlandof
China: A Case Study of Hohhot City” AGRICULTURAL MARKETING
JOURNAL OF JAPAN, Vol. 20, No. 2, 2011, pp. 1–10.
2. ZHAO, Liming. SAKAZUME, Hiroshi “Shipping Practices for Vegetable-
Growers in Hohhot, China” AGRICULTURAL MARKETING JOURNAL OF
JAPAN, Vol. 20, No. 4, 2012, pp. 12–23.
3. ZHAO, Liming “The Influence of Vegetable Wholesaler’s Scale Expansion to
the Commodity Procurement Action” AGRICULTURAL MARKETING
JOURNAL OF JAPAN, Vol. 21, No. 4, 2013, pp. 28–37.
4. ZHAO, Liming “Property Changes of Large-scale Agricultural Wholesale
Markets in a Chinese Urban Area: The Case of Agricultural Wholesale Market
‘A’”AGRICULTURALMARKETINGJOURNALOFJAPAN,Vol.22,No.2,
2013, pp. 22–30.
5. ZHAO,Liming“Structural ChangesofVegetables CirculationinLocalCity of
China—ACaseStudyofHohhotcity”ReprintedfromMemoirsoftheResearch
Faculty of Agriculture Hokkaido University, Vol. 33, No. 1, 2013, pp. 45–78.
I joined the School of Agriculture of Hokkaido University in April 2006. After
six and a half years of study, I graduated in September 2012, obtaining a doctor’s
degree in Agriculture. After that, I had studied and worked there for one year as a
postdoctor.Duringthesemorethansevenyears,Igotalotofhelpandsupportfrom
many people.
First, I thank Profs Iizawa Riichiro and Sakazume Hiroshi, and other members
oftheLaboratoryofFoodandAgriculturalMarketing.Theyhaveprovidedmewith
alotofguidanceandhelp.ProfessorIizawaRiichirowastheteacherwhoadmitted
metoHokkaidoUniversityforgraduatestudy.Hewentthroughalltheprocedures
for me to leave China for Japan and even undertook to Sapporo Immigration
Bureau toactasmypersonalityguarantorandfinancialsupporter duringmystudy
inJapan. During mystudyfor master’sanddoctor’sdegrees,hetaughtmehowto
vii
viii Acknowledgments
begin and conduct academic research. More importantly, he taught me the
importance to help others and to get on well with others. He is definitely an
unforgettablebenefactorinmylife.ProfessorSakazumeHiroshiwasmysupervisor
during my study for the doctorate degree. He taught me how to design question-
naires, to carry out specific research, and to write a thesis. He has been very strict
withdoctoralcandidatesindissertationincludingme.Itishiscarefulguidancethat
made me a scholar very confident of my research. “Making bold hypothesis and
careful exploration” was his motto. Besides, I am also very grateful to Drs.
Hashimoto Naoshi and Konno Masashi, as well as all the members of the
Laboratory of Food and Agricultural Marketing, Hokkaido University.
Thanks to all the members of the Japanese Society of Agricultural Marketing.
All the teachers and colleagues gave me a lot of suggestions every time I made
plenary reports. Professor Takeya Hiroyuki from Nagoya University, in particular,
offered mevaluable guidance on my plenary report and doctoral dissertation. Here
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to him.
Without field investigation, no good thesis can be written. During the period
from undergraduate thesis writing to the publication of this book, I was fortunate
enough to have obtained help from a lot of people. Mr. Zhao, manager of the
DongwayaoAgriculturalProductsWholesaleMarketinHohhot,providedmewith
greatconvenienceinmyfieldwork.Iamalsohonoredfortheopportunitiestohave
meals at his home. Many thanks.
Mr. Gen Suo and Mr. Zhang Runsheng are teachers like my parent. During my
undergraduate study in Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, they not only
taught me learning methods but also helped me in my personal life. It can be said
that I have been influenced by and benefited from Mr. Gen Suo and Mr. Zhang
Runsheng in nearly every aspect. I feel really indebted to them for their parental
care and support.
Last but not least, thanks to editors Chai Ning and Wang Lei from Springer
Press. They have provided valuable suggestions on the contents of this book.
Thanks!
May 2015 Liming Zhao
Contents
1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 The Real Problem: Unstable Sales Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Book Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 Particularity and Research Significance of the Western Region . . . 5
2.1 Geographical Range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2 Particularity and Research Significance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.3 Survey Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.4 Overall Architecture of Vegetable Circulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3 Reorganization of Sales Channel for Vegetable Farmers . . . . . . . . 13
3.1 Vegetable Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.2 Reorganization of Sales Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.2.1 Empirical Data of Village A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.2.2 Empirical Data of Village B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.3 Wholesale Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3.4 Short Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4 Reorganization of the Vegetable Wholesale Market . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.1 Rentability of the Wholesale Market. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.2 Vegetable Sellers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4.3 Reorganization of the Transaction Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
4.4 Affect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
4.5 Short Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5 Reorganization of the Vegetable Wholesale Circulation . . . . . . . . . 35
5.1 Main Body of the Wholesale Circulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
5.2 Scale of Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
ix
