A Study on Paddy Field Diversion Program with Planting Ornamental Crops for Amenity: Evaluation of Economic Benefits for Residents by Contingent Valuation Method

Recently, fallowed paddy fields which spoil pastoral landscape, have been increasing under abjustment policies of rice production. And so some local governments are propeling paddy field diversion programs by planting ornamental crops, such as Cosmos and Chinese Milk Vetch, with a view to disolve fallowed paddy fields and to improve landscape. The purpose of this study is to evaluate economic benefits of the programs, and to make clear how to propele the programs. If governments don't subsidize planting ornamental crops, no farmer will plant them, because those don't make farm produce sales profit. But ornamental crops improve landscape. Those are to say public goods. Therefore, if the values of benefits are more than social costs (expenditures of governments and cultivating costs of ornamental crops), social welfear will progress. We subjected the six of aglicultulal distrits, where the programs were carried out by planting Cosmos in about 05 ha of grouped paddy fields. We have practiced questionnaire surveyes to residents whose living sphere included paddy fields of Cosmos. The results are as follows. Firstly, we have estimated the values of benefits for residents by Contingent Valuation Method. The mean willingness to pay has been estimated at about ¥800-¥1, 200 per household in each districts. In four of urbanized agricultural districts, the values of benefits per district have been estimated at over If 220, 000-¥370, 000, and the values per 0.1 ha at over ¥40, 000-¥70, 000. These results would be one of standards for expenditures of governments, in urbanized agricultural districts. But in two of rural agricultural districts, estimated values of benefits were lower because of less population. Secondly, we have discussed how to propele the programs. The programs were planned by governments and carried out by some farmers. But in order to get higher benefits, all residents should participate in planning and carrying out the programs. The rate of respondens who answer “Planting ornamental crops must be managed by governments” represented 58%, but “by all residents” represented 21%. This indicates the necessity of consciousness of residents for participating in pastoral landscape management.