Our Challenges
Providing Agricultural Machinery at Overwhelming Prices
—Supporting Japanese Agriculture and Contributing to the Conservation of National Land
Japanese agriculture is characterized by a large number of aging farmers, small-scale farms that grow crops on small areas of farmland, and part-time farmers.*1 Moreover, approximately 70% of the total area of Japan is covered by mountains and forests, with residential areas occupying the country’s plains. Another feature of Japanese agriculture, then, is the large number of terraced, small-area farms on mountainsides and foothills. These hilly and mountainous areas*2 account for around 40% of Japan’s total farmland. This type of farmland contributes to the creation of stunning environments where people and nature coexist, and plays a key role in preventing landslides. However, with the aging farming population particularly prominent among small-scale farmers and part-time farmers, the number of individuals leaving the industry due to concerns about their future and physical strength increased. The issue, then, was how to interact with these types of farmers and encourage them to continue in the industry. An important issue that had great bearing not only on the development of Japanese agriculture and the future of food, but also environmental and national land conservation.
From aging part-time farmers and small-scale farmers in hilly and mountainous areas and elsewhere, there were calls for agricultural machinery with reliable basic functions that could be purchased brand new and at low cost. Up until then, through constant technological innovation Kubota had continued to enhance functions and performance, creating optimal machinery that solved the issues facing farms of various scales. However, the needs of aging part-time and small-scale farmers were entirely different.
The challenge at hand was to create high-level machinery that balanced reliable performance and low cost. Kubota’s aim was to bring joy to Japan’s farmers through overwhelmingly low prices.
Designing such machinery from scratch, however, would not have been conducive to achieving the desired cost. After much deliberation, Kubota determined to use its comprehensive strengths. The company had already established group companies and plants around the world, and boasted global supply chains and sales networks. In each region, meanwhile, Kubota had successfully delivered optimal machinery that was perfectly suited to local agriculture and that met the requirements of local farmers. The company collected a range of information on its overseas products and local achievements, applying this knowledge to the development of an entirely new machine. From the design stage to the procurement of each component, the entire project brought together the company’s combined expertise. After much trial and error, in 2010 Kubota released the AEROSTAR World series of agricultural machinery. Upon the series’ release, in addition to receiving high praise from numerous small-scale farmers, the overwhelming price of each machine sent shockwaves through the industry in Japan. In answering the needs of part-time and small-scale farmers, Kubota not only lessened their workload and supported the continuation of their activities, it contributed to the conservation of national land.
- *1Farming households in which more than one member of the family earns a salary from a job outside of agriculture.
- *2Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas Basic Act, Article 35: “Areas with poor geographical conditions and disadvantages to agricultural production including mountainous areas and their surrounding areas”
Return to the top of Our Challenges