3rd meeting minutes

1. We reported about publication of committee minutes on Yokohama-shi homepage.
2. We made an interim report of the survey of shippers and businesses currently being implemented.

1. We visited the wholesale market and fruit and vegetable processing and distribution center in the southern market.
2. We discussed the roles and functions that the wholesale market should play in the future.

[About Quality Control and Logistics Efficiency]

• I think it is good to promote e-commerce as an exception to the "principles of Commerce Matching", but since e-commerce transactions do not look at the actual product, quality control must be ensured to ensure food safety.
• I thought that the Fresh Center was quite good in terms of cold chains and logistics efficiency, but what should we think about such facilities when discussing the "the way market should be"? In other words, should we assume that the role of the market has changed due to an increase in transactions with mass retailers, or did it not necessarily have to be in the market, but there was a good place in the hall, so it was established there?
• The fresh center is designed to meet the needs of users. If facilities are set up in the market, fresh vegetables and fruits from all over the country will be able to receive stable supplies every day. It was created from a request to make what users had outside in the market in the past.

[Examples of Transition to Local Markets]

• Last year, several central wholesale markets shifted to local markets, but what do you think about the role of the market?
• Kushiro and Oita in 2018 and Fujisawa-Kawasaki southern markets moved to local wholesale markets in 2007. Initially, we were concerned that shipments would be refrained from shipping in the central market, but in reality it was not the case.
• Whether it's a local market or a central market, what shippers care about is the financial and management of a wholesale company.
• Due to the shift to local markets, the number of reports to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has decreased, and administrative expenses and management fee. This also contributes to the "reduction of distribution costs by 20%" as stated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. If national regulations continue to be strict in the central market, the transition to local markets will be one of the ways to liberalization.

[Relationship between home and the Southern Market]

• What are the relationship between the two markets, the home and the South, and what are the differences and characteristics of each?
• The Southern Market was opened in 1973. The main reason was that it responded to the rapid increase in the population of Yokohama City, but at first it was characterized by a general market targeting general retail, and the southern part was a market specializing in large supermarkets. However, since then, the number of products for mass retailers has been increasing in every market, and the characteristics of the southern market have diminished.
• According to the results of the shipper questionnaire, JA on the shipper side has become larger due to the merger, but there is a question that the market will not merge.
• If the markets that are currently divided into two markets (home and southern markets) become one, the management costs will be reduced, and it would be nice if things proceed smoothly, but the reality is quite difficult.

[About the next and subsequent issues]

• As a future perspective, “1. How can we speed up distribution?” "2. Aggregation of information. How do you accumulate and transmit information in the market, including branding. " It is necessary to carefully read the questionnaire on the three issues, "3. Who will take the initiative in strengthening distribution functions and proceed with the initiative."
• Along with the future themes of "necessary scale" and "management of wholesale market", it is necessary to deepen discussions from the viewpoint of "enhancement of value-added functions in response to changes in the environment" and lead to discussions on location.
• Important issues are expected from next time onwards, and it is quite difficult to compile the committee's recommendations in March. We would like to consider holding additional committees once or twice.