Institutional design of irrigation and rural development projects and management
in Japan
20 February 2013
Kazumi Yamaoka
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)
Table of Contents
1.
Introduction ········································································································································· P2
2.
Purposes of the Land Improvement Act ········································································································· P4
3.
Fundamental Principles of the Land Improvement Act System ············································································· P5
4.
Implementation Bodies of Land Improvement Projects ······················································································ P6
5.
Implementation Procedures of Land Improvement Projects ··················································································· P7
6.
Eligible Project Participants ······················································································································ P8
7.
Bearing of Costs ···································································································································· P9
8.
Replotting System ································································································································ P10
9.
Land Improvement Districts ···················································································································· P11
10.
Flow Chart for the Organizational Structure of the Land Improvement District ······················································· P12
11.
Financial Conditions of Land Improvement Districts ····················································································· P13
12. Management of Land Improvement Facilities ······························································································ P14
13.
Federations of Land Improvement Associations ··························································································· P15
14.
Reference ········································································································································· P16
Note: This document is originally compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan and carefully proofread and properly modified by
author for better expression in English so that the responsibility for the wording lies with the author.
1
1.
Introduction
(1) In Japanese agriculture, farm management has been developed with its major part on paddy rice cultivation. The maintenance and management of
irrigation and drainage facilities is essential for this paddy rice cultivation and is conducted by a water management organization (Land Improvement
District), which is formed by farmers who are engaged in farm management.
This is a legal system.
This Japanese agricultural water management system, which emerged in rice farming to adapt itself to the Japanese climate, has been developed as a
discipline of water management by villages since over 2000 years of history back, and may be considered to be difficult to apply it immediately to countries
with different climatic, geographical, social and economic conditions.
Nevertheless, for your references in conducting studies on good maintenance and management of irrigation and drainage facilities, we will introduce the
overview of the system of Japan’s water management organizations.
(2) Japan’s irrigation and drainage water management is efficiently conducted by groups called “Land Improvement Districts,” which are organized by local
farmers, of which organization is depending on types and scales of facilities or local conditions.
This water management system has achieved unique development adapting to Japan’s climatic, political, socio-economic and other conditions, in many
forms of type and scale of facilities, and varying according to regions and periods.
We will briefly look back on these historical transitions below:
① From around the 3rd century B.C. to the 8th century A.D.
Paddy rice cropping spread throughout Japan, mainly in regions that can easily secure irrigation water, and as necessary irrigation facilities for that,
numerous simple irrigation canals and small-scale irrigation ponds were built.
The sovereign such as the Imperial Court and local rulers in this period made use of technique for building their burial mounds in constructing dams of
irrigation ponds. Water management was conducted as an execution of sovereignty in many cases.
② From around the 9th century to the 15th century
2
Paddy fields were expanded targeting upper streams of branches of large rivers, and small rivers in the latter part of the Medieval Period.
Irrigation water facilities were built by village farmers themselves with technical assistance from engineers who are monks or samurais in some case.
Water management by villages, the original form of the water management discipline at the terminal level of the irrigation facilities, which currently exists,
was formed.
③ From around the 16th century to the 19th century.
Development was expanded to large river basins, and the territory of current 2.6 million ha of Japan’s paddy fields was formed in this period.
With population growth, the scales of villages became larger, and organizations to implement water management discipline were formed. These water
management discipline (system) and characteristics were succeeded by local farmers’ water management groups/organizations, which were established
under a law in the 20th century (1908) for the first time.
Furthermore, this system is also succeeded by the “Land Improvement District,” which has been
legislated since 1949 when the Land Improvement Law was enacted.
④ The 20th century
a. Drainage improvement project
b. Due to the trend of overproduction of rice, improvement of irrigation facilities is actively expanded from a paddy field-centered one to upland fields.
As seen above, in Japan, throughout its long history, a consensus building system puts its basis on the consensus of a village, which is necessary to
manage irrigation and drainage facilities and to secure agricultural water, has been formed and established.
The “Land Improvement Act,” which was enacted in 1949, have officially designated this water management organization that had been composed by
farmers and formed in rural areas, as a “Land Improvement District.”
3
2.
Purposes of the Land Improvement Act
In order to increase agricultural productivity, improve the structure of agricultural production and provision by enlarging the scale of farm management
and introducing large machinery, etc., it is indispensable to improve the agricultural production infrastructure.
Outcome of the improvement of agricultural production infrastructure affects each individual farm management, farmland rights and water use of farmers.
The Land Improvement Act stipulates the procedures for coordinating these rights and so on and implementing land improvement projects appropriately
and smoothly.
【Structure of the current Land Improvement Act】
(Measure)
(Purposes)
Increase in gross agricultural production
Optional
enlargement
of
agricultural
production
Agricultural structure improvement
Improvement and development of
the
agricultural
production
infrastructure
Improvement of agricultural productivity
(Means)
Matters necessary to appropriately and
smoothly implement the projects related
to
improvement,
development,
preservation and collectivization of
scattered agricultural land plots
・ Give consideration to harmony with the
environment.
・Contribute to the comprehensive development and
preservation of national land resources.
・Fit into the development of the national economy.
(Matters for consideration)
4
(Concrete contents)
1. Long-range planning for land improvement
2. Land improvement projects
① Installation and management of agricultural
irrigation and drainage facilities, agricultural
roads, etc.
② Land readjustment
③ Development of agricultural land
④ Land reclamation from the sea and marsh
⑤ Others
Implementing bodies: state, prefectures, organizations
(Land Improvement Districts, municipalities,
agricultural cooperatives, etc.)
(1) Project implementation procedures
Commencement procedure
Change and abolition of plans
Cost procedure
(2) Replotting procedure
Collectivization of scattered agricultural land plots,
designation of non-agricultural land areas
(3) Management of the facilities
(4) Coordination of the rights related to agricultural land
3. Operation, establishment and management of land
improvement districts
4. Exchange and consolidation
5. Federations of Land Improvement Associations
6. Government subsidies
7. Supervision, etc.
3.
【Exceptions to the principle of approval: facilities renewal project】
Fundamental Principles of the Land Improvement Act System
(1) Principles of proposal (application) and approval from beneficiary
Of facilities renewal projects (projects to reequip existing facilities at the
end of their service life), the approval collection procedure of the ones that
meet the following requirements is simplified due to its homogeneity with
management projects.
① The project’s aim must be to maintain the function of the facility.
② The project must not require changes in important parts of the plan for
the management project related to the said facility.
③ The total amount of the costs borne by members for the facility renewal
project and management project after the renewal must be appropriate
considering the cost bearing for the management project in the case of
not conducting the renewal project.
farmers
Land improvement projects are the social capital formation through
public investments.
However, because of their effects on agricultural land
use, etc., which is farmers’ private property, as well as cost bearing by
farmers, land improvement projects should be implemented based on the
uniformed proposal (application) of at least 15 initiators among beneficiary
farmers with their approval as their basic requirements, as a rule.
If a consensus is not built among the farmers concerned on the
implementation of a project, the project cannot be implemented.
【 Percentage of approval for land consolidation projects (at the
commencement of projects)】
(2) Compulsory two-thirds agreement among the beneficiary farmers
93% or more and less
than 97%
15 districts (16.7%)
The land improvement project needs to incorporate lands as a whole
within a specified territory into the beneficiary area of the project according
to topography, and therefore, firm agreements from two-thirds or more of
100%
56 districts (62.2%)
whole eligible beneficial farmers in the designated territory of the project is
97% or more and less than 100%
19 districts (21.1%)
required to implement it. Otherwise the procedures cannot be forwarded.
Once the firm two-third or more agreements are obtained, the project will
be executed in a legally enforceable way. It means that all the eligible
Note 1: This is the breakdown of the 90 districts that
adopted new projects in FY 2007.
Note 2: There are no districts with less than 93% approval.
beneficial farmers in the territory of a project must participate in the project
and be burdened with a responsibility.
※With the people who had not approved the project at its commencement, a consensus
was formed under discussion among the rightful claimants concerned by the replotting
stage after construction work, and the paperwork has been completed smoothly.
In the actual operation, the project is implemented with a higher
percentage of approval.
5
4.
Implementing Bodies of Land Improvement Projects
Project name
Land improvement projects are implemented by the following entities in
consideration of the scale, degree of technical difficulty, etc. of each
project.
① State-operated: national government
② Prefecture-operated: prefectural governments
③ Organization-operated: land improvement districts, municipal
governments, land
improvement associations, agricultural
cooperatives, agricultural land holding rationalization corporations
and other eligible entities stipulated in Article 3 of the Act.
Irrigation
and
drainage project
Main diversion
works (state)
Prefecture
Management
entity
development
system
improvement
project
(land
adjustment, etc.)
Farm
road
improvement
project
Irrigation system
Head works
(state)
Less than 500ha
(pref.)
Branch diversion
works (pref.)
Hilly
and
mountainous area
comprehensive
development
project
Main facilities
(state-operated)
Irrigation pumping
station (state)
Less than 500ha
(pref.)
Branch facilities
(prefecture-operated)
Less than 100a
(organization)
State
Percentage of
government
subsidies
70%※
2/3
【Schematic diagram of the division of implementing bodies (irrigation
and drainage project)】
Dam
(state)
Implementing
body
50%
Application criteria (lower limit area)
Terminal command
area
Beneficiary area
5,000ha (paddy fields)
5,000ha (paddy fields)
2,000ha (upland fields)
2,000ha (upland fields)
3,000ha (paddy fields)
500ha (paddy fields)
1.000ha (upland fields)
100ha (upland fields)
200ha (paddy fields)
100ha (paddy fields)
100ha (upland fields)
20ha (upland fields)
Prefecture
50%
20ha
-
Prefecture
50%
Wide-area
farm
roads: 1,000ha
-
Prefecture
45%
General
roads: 50ha
-
Pref./org
55%
Colonial type
farm
(General type)
Production infrastructure improvement
(prefecture) 60ha or more
(organization) 20ha or more
Prefecture
Pref./org
55%
55%
(Production infrastructure type)
Production
infrastructure
improvement
(prefecture) 20ha or more
Terminal facilities
(organization-operated)
(organization) 10ha or more
Drainage system
Less than 100a
(organization)
Farm fields
Terminal facilities
(organization-operated)
Branch facilities
(prefecture-operated)
River
Drainage pumping
station (state)
Wide-area cooperation type
Production infrastructure 60ha or more
-
※Limited to new installment or repair of large-scale facilities such as dams,
head works and drainage facilities.
Less than 500ha
(pref.)
Main drainage canal
(state)
-
Main facilities
(state-operated)
【Percentage of government subsidies and application area of the main projects
(Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)】
※( )=management body
6
5. Procedures for the Establishment of a Land Improvement District and
the Change of a Plan, etc.
(2) Change of plans, etc.
In cases where a new land improvement project is conducted or the need
for reviewing the plan or abolishing the project arises in accordance with a
change in social conditions, etc., the Land Improvement District receives
approval for the change of the plan through procedures of consent,
coordination with municipal governments, application for approval,
debriefing from third parties such as academic experts, and public
announcement and inspection, as in the case of the decision on the original
plan.
Professional engineers
Assistance from
prefectural employees
Hearing of opinions
Interested persons
Public announcement
Establishment of the land
improvement district
Approval
Petition of objection,
decision of acceptance
Public announcement and
inspection of the plan and
articles of association
Notification to the
applicants
Decision on suitability
･
Briefing, inspection
Prefectural governor
Application for approval
for the establishment
Drawing up of the project
plan and articles of
association
･
･
･
･
Municipal
mayors
Approval for incorporation
of national land, etc
Unanimous approval on
residential land, etc
Discussion on the
outline of the plan
Unanimous approval from
eligible parties outside
agricultural land
Collection of two-thirds
or more approval
Public announcement of
the basics, etc. of the
articles of association
Outline of the plan
Decision on specified areas
Applicants (15 or more)
7
･
(1) Procedures for the establishment of a Land Improvement District
The basic principle of the procedures for the establishment of a Land
Improvement District is application and approval by beneficiary farmers. After
the completion of necessary coordination, etc. with municipal governments, an
application for approval must be filed with the prefectural governor.
The governor hears opinions of professional engineers, makes a decision on
suitability, and makes it public and available for public inspection, thus granting
approval in open procedures.
6. Eligible Project Participants
(1) Members of a Land Improvement District
A Land Improvement District is established with the approval of the prefectural governor. The Land Improvement Act also establishes the articles of
association of the Land Improvement District and land improvement project plan (including the maintenance and management plan). At the same time, all
of the eligible parties stipulated in Article 3 of the Act within the Land Improvement District become its members (Article 11 of the Act).
In other words, not only the eligible parties under Article 3 who consented to the establishment of the Land Improvement District, but also the eligible
parties under Article 3 who did not consent, and also private corporations eligible for Article 3 and the national government or local public entity that owns
farmland compelled by law to become members, assuming the obligations as well as having the rights stipulated under the Act.
(2) Eligible members (eligible participants in the land improvement project = eligible parties under Article 3)
As a rule, for agricultural land, usufructuaries (cultivators), and for non-agricultural land (mainly appropriate land to be developed as agricultural land),
owners are to be eligible members of the Land Improvement District.
For the land where a usufructuary right is set, owners in case of agricultural land and usufructuaries in cse of non-agricultural land are able to obtain
membership following the specified procedures.
【Table of eligible parties under Article 3】
Structure of eligible parties under Article 3 (parties eligible to participate in the land improvement project)
Land classification
Eligible parties under Article 3
(Agricultural land)
○ Owner = usufructuary
① Land provided for cultivation, etc, based on the ○ Usufructuary (if the owner offers to participate in the
ownership right (owner farmer’s land)
project and the agricultural committee approves, the
② Land provided for cultivation, etc, based on a title
owner)
other than the ownership right (tenant farmer’s land)
(Non-agricultural land)
○ Owner
③ Land used and benefited from based on the ○ Usufructuary (if the usufructuary offers to the
ownership right
agricultural committee after obtaining approval of the
④ Land used and benefited from based on a title other
owner)
than the ownership right
Since the land improvement project is implemented in order to promote agricultural use of the land, and to improve and streamline farm management, for
land already provided for agricultural use, its cultivator (accordingly, in the case of a tenant land, the tenant farmer who is a cultivator) has priority. This
coincides with the idea of the protection of cultivation rights under the Agricultural Land Act.
However, in the case of including non-agricultural land in the district of the land improvement project and converting it to agricultural land, owner’s
interests are considered the deepest, and for this reason, the owner’s rights are prioritized, unlike the case of agricultural land.
8
7. Bearing of Costs
(1) The concept of cost bearing
The improvement of agricultural production infrastructure has, along with effects on
farm management such as improvement of productivity, effects on national economy
such as stable provision of food at fair prices, and various regional effects such as
promoting regional economies and improving rocal living environments.
For this reason, land improvement projects are implemented, with borne by
prefectures, municipalities and beneficiary farmers their fair shares of the costs for
implementing the projets, in addition to the national government’s cost bearing and
subsidies, in accordance with the implementing bodies and types of projects.
【Cost bearing system】
(State-operated projects, general type)
※1
Instead of borrowing investment and loan
funds, a direct allocation method has been
introduced for new construction districts from
FY 1999.
※2
Accounting has been done on the special
accounts for a stable supply of food: national
land improvement project accounts from FY
2008.
National subsidies
and prefectural)
National expenses
(Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)
National irrigation and drainage project
National
farmland
reorganization
and
consolidation project (hilly and mountainous
area type)
Prefectural irrigation and drainage project
Management entity development system
improvement project
Upland field area comprehensive development
project (prospective farmer cultivation type)
Hilly and mountainous area comprehensive
development project (colonial type)
Farm pond development project (small scale)
Borne by
farmers
Advanced payment by
national expenses
Unredeemable for 2 years
after completion of project
Redeemable in 15 years
Borne by
prefectures
Allocated for the
reference year
(prefectural expenses)
17.0
24.4
6.0
5.0
10.4
4.0
50.0
50.0
25.0
27.5
10.0
10.0
15.0
※12.5
50.0
25.0
10.0
※15.0
55.0
30.0
10.0
5.0
50.0
29.0
14.0
7.0
Unredeemable for 3 years
after the year of borrowing
Redeemable in 10 years
Borne by
municipalities
Borne by
farmers
Allocated for the
reference year
(municipal expenses)
In general, public
corporation funds are
allocated, which are
unredeemable for a
maximum of 10 years and
redeemable in 15 years
after the year of borrowing.
Farmers
66.6
66.6
Borne by
prefectures
Project costs
Guidelines, etc. on agricultural infrastructure improvement and rural development projects (national
State
Investment and loan fund*
(Prefecture-operated projects)
【Guidelines】
Percentage of cost bearing (%)
Guidelines
Prefectures
Municipalities
Borne by
municipalities
Borne by the state
(2) Regional fiscal measures and guidelines
Standard levels of cost bearing by local public entities for the national and prefectural
projects are set in the guidelines decided by the national government. The guidelines
limit the cost borne by municipalities and farmers, and necessary regional fiscal
measures are taken for the actual amount of cost bearing.
Project name
Project costs
National expenses (transferred to the special account)
(Organization-operated projects)
Project costs
National subsidies
National expenses
Note) ※=By utilizing interest-free funds, actual cost bearing by farmers will be further reduced.
Prefectural
subsidies
Allocated for the
reference year
(prefectural expenses)
Municipal
subsidies
Borne by
farmers
Allocated for the
reference year
(municipal expenses)
In general, public
corporation funds are
allocated, which are
unredeemable for a
maximum of 10 years and
redeemable in 15 years
after the year of borrowing
9
8.
Replotting system
Land improvement projects such as land readjustment and agricultural land development alter land plot character depending on the construction works.
Therefore, legal procedures are necessary to appropriately and smoothly reorganize land rights, according to the readjusted land plots, farm roads and water
channels.
For this reason, the Land Improvement Act, as well as responding to such requests, provides for a replotting system as a legal procedure to promote
collectivization of agricultural land.
Replotting needs to be proceeded while facilitating consensus-building among the rights holders concerned, with people who have various rights such as
the ownership right, right of pledge, right of lease, and right of lease for use, and their procedures are complicated and diverse, and considerable difficulty is
involved in coordinating them.
【Roles of replotting】
Ⅰ Collectivization of agricultural land
Ⅱ Orderly arrangement of land use (prevention of sprawl) : Land shaping and producing : Establishment of rural park sites
: Establishment of factory sites : Establishment of agricultural land
Ⅲ Position shift and widening of roads and watercourses (including production of land for public use, such as widening of expressways and rivers)
【Land use coordination through replotting】
Previous land
housing
site
paddy field
Replotting
paddy field
paddy field
paddy
field
paddy field
upland
field
paddy field
housing site
paddy field
water
channel
Upland field
(non-agricultural land zone)
(prospective housing site)
paddy field
upland field
(approval for
replotting to a
different type of
land)
upland
field
paddy field
paddy field
paddy field
paddy field
paddy field
upland field
paddy field
paddy field
paddy field
paddy field
paddy field
irrigation
canal
crop
field
paddy field
paddy field
road
road
road
road
For agricultural
land
drainage
canal
paddy field
(offer of non-replotting)
upland field
paddy field
paddy field
paddy field
(offer of non-replotting)
paddy field
(offer of special
reduction of site area)
paddy field
rural
park
irrigation
canal
upland field
paddy field
paddy field
upland field
paddy
field
paddy field
water
paddy
field
paddy field paddy
field
(offer of special channel
paddy field
(offer of specialreduction of site area)paddy field
reduction of site area) (offer of special reduction of site area)
plant
paddy field
paddy field
paddy field
paddy field
drainage
canal
paddy field
Non-agricultural
land zone
10
9.
Land Improvement District
【Image of a specified area of a Land Improvement District】
The Land Improvement District is a public entity established under the
Land Improvement Act with the aim of implementing a land improvement
project in a specified area.
Dam
Head works
A specified area of a land
improvement district
【Overview of the land improvement district system】
Irrigation canal
○ Establishment procedure
A Land Improvement District is established with the approval of the
prefectural governor based on the project plan, the articles of association, etc.
after 15 or more eligible project participants’ obtaining two-thirds or more
approval from whole eligible potential beneficiaries on the general outline of
the target land improvement project and Land Improvement District.
Drainage canal
Drainage pumping
station
○ District
Corresponding to a specified area concerning the execution of a land
improvement project (territories of agricultural lands to be a beneficiary area
of the land improvement project)
【The present state of the Land Improvement Districts】
Number, area, etc. of Land Improvement Districts (as of the end of FY 2008)
Land improvement districts
○ Members
Farmers within the district (as a rule, usufructuaries of agricultural lands)
(Note) They become members regardless whether they agreed or not at the
time of the establishment of the land improvement district.
Note: there is
Number of
Area
Number of members
overlap between
districts
(thousand ha)
(thousand)
the area and the
5,150
2,710
3,840
number of
members.
○ Projects
・ Land improvement projects (establishment, change, management of
irrigation and drainage facilities, land readjustment, etc.)
・Projects accompanying land improvement projects
Condition of land improvement districts by area dimension (as of the end of FY 2007)
Area
○
①
②
③
Management and operation
The articles of association, agreement
Officers – 5 or more directors, 2 or more auditors
General meeting and general meeting of representatives (allowed to
establish if the number of members exceeds 200)
Number
of
districts
(Ratio)
5,000ha
or more
5,000
-1,000
73
(1.4)
551
(10.7)
1,000
-500
523
(10.2)
500-300
468
(9.1)
300-100
1,202
(23.3)
Less
than
100 ha
2,333
(45.3)
Total
5,150(100.0)
Source: Survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
11
10. Flow Chart for the Organizational Structure of the Land Improvement
District
(1) General meeting (or general meeting of representatives)
The general meeting (or general meeting of representatives) is the essential, top
legislative organ that “makes decisions as a Land Improvement District.” The
executive organ consisting of directors, auditors, etc. shall perform their duties
complying with the decisions made by the general meeting (or general meeting of
representatives). Article 22 of the Act stipulates that “the general meeting of the
Land Improvement District shall be organized by all members.” This means that it
clearly defines the existence of the general meeting as that of stakeholders and the
status of all members who participate in it as stakeholders with voting rights.
Actually a general meeting (or general meeting of representatives) may be held if
legal requirements are fulfilled.
(2) Officers of the land improvement district
The land improvement district has five or more directors and two or more auditors
as externally directed representatives and staffs who conduct administrative affairs
and audits (Clause 1 and 2, Article 18 of the Act). Directors and auditors shall
comply with the articles of association, agreements, and resolutions of a general
meeting (or general meeting of representatives), as an essential, permanent organ of
the land improvement district, and play important roles in the operation of the land
improvement district both internally and externally. Therefore, the Act stipulates
their numbers, terms, election method, duties, etc. in detail.
(3) Committees
For an appropriate operation of the Land Improvement District, committees may
be set up as subsidiary organs of the board of directors, in line with the actual
situation of the operation of the Land Improvement District. In such a case, a
director is appointed for the member of each committee.
※ Assessment, replotting, construction, irrigation and drainage coordination
committees, etc.
(4) Staff
Directors may place staff in order to process business operations of the Land
Improvement District smoothly. Directors shall assign staffs their duties and
supervise them to make sure their work is processed appropriately.
12
Members
General meeting
(or general meeting of
representatives)
Officers
Auditors
Board of auditors
Directors
Board of directors
・In charge of accounting
・In charge of
construction
・In charge of replotting
・In charge of irrigation
and drainage
coordination
Committees
Steering committee
Construction committee
Replotting committee
Irrigation and drainage
coordination committee
Secretariat
Secretary General
General affairs and accounting unit
Administration unit
Construction and replotting unit
11.
Financial Conditions of Land Improvement Districts
The financial conditions of the Land Improvement Districts surveyed (4,590 districts) are compiled, their totals are divided by the actual district number
of the applicable Land Improvement Districts “by revenue/expense item,” and the amount per Land Improvement District, by revenue/expense item, per
10ha, are calculated. The table below shows this.
Amount per district and amount per 10a by revenue/expense item
Item
Dues
Ordinary dues
Special dues
Subsidies/grants-in-aid
National/prefectural subsidies
Subsidies for construction
Subsidies for permanent expenses
Municipal and other grants-in-aid
Subsidies for construction
Subsidies
for
permanent
expenses
Borrowed money
Agriculture,
Forestry
and
Fisheries Finance Corporation
Others
Other revenues
Multipurpose usage charge
District exclusion settlement
Contract fee
Prior-period revenue
Others
Balance carried forward
Total
(Notes) ①
②
③
④
Per district
Amount
(thousand yen)
33,218
16,344
16,874
21,448
9,460
7,403
2,057
Revenues
Per 10a
Percentage
Amount (yen)
Item
%
5,793
2,850
2,943
3,741
1,650
1,291
359
26.4
13.0
13.4
17.1
7.5
5.9
1.6
11,988
9,220
2,768
2,091
1,608
483
9.5
7.3
2.2
Permanent expenses
Operating expenses
Administration expenses
Officers’ remuneration
Personnel expenses for staff
Maintenance expenses
Improvement
and
repair
expenses
Electric power and oil cost
Personnel expenses
Subsidies etc.
11,415
4,897
1,991
854
9.1
3.9
6,518
23,169
1,137
4,041
5.2
18.4
1,349
235
1.1
1,490
2,813
518
16,999
36,343
125,593
260
491
90
2,965
6,338
21,904
1.2
2.2
0.4
13.5
28.9
100.0
Per district
Amount
(thousand yen)
24,252
12,924
3,697
1,226
8,001
11,328
4,355
Expenses
Per 10a
Amount (yen)
%
4,230
2,254
645
214
1,395
1,976
760
19.3
10.3
2.9
1.0
6.4
9.0
3.5
1,907
2,004
943
333
349
164
1.5
1.6
0.8
Contribution to optimization
Others
687
1,432
120
250
0.5
1.1
Construction expenses
State- and prefectural cost
bearing/contributions
Redemption of borrowed money
such as public corporation funds
Reserve funds
Other expenses
Balance carried forward
8,979
9,832
1,566
1,715
7.1
7.8
31,076
5,420
24.7
11,211
8,901
31,342
1,955
1,552
5,466
8.9
7.1
25.0
Total
125,593
21,904
100.0
The “amount per district” column shows the amount divided by the applicable actual district number
The “per 10a” column shows the “amount per district” of ① divided by the actual area
In the “percentage” column listed are the percentages by item that account for the amount of gross revenues and the amount of gross expenses of the LIDs surveyed.
The “total” column shows the amount of gross revenues and the amount of gross expenses of the LIDs surveyed divided by the total number of the districts.
13
Percentage
12.
Management of Land Improvement Facilities
【Management system of land improvement facilities】
[Construction body]
(1) Management system
[Management body]
Direct control
State
(Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries)
The management of land improvement facilities, if they have been
improved under an organization-operated land improvement project, shall be
Management
commission
conducted by relevant organizations (LID, etc.).
For most of the facilities improved under a state- or prefecture-operated
State
(Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries)
Prefectures
Prefectures
land improvement project, their management is commissioned or they are
Management
commission/transfer
transferred (conditional) to the prefectural government or municipalities, or
Management
commission/transfer
LID, and each entity that has received a management commission or taken
over manages the facilities.
Of the facilities developed by the state, extremely large-scale and
highly-public facilities are under the direct control of the central government
Municipalities
Land improvement districts
(the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) exceptionally.
Management by
construction body
Municipalities
Land improvement districts
【List of Key water-use facilities (developed by the state) by management body】
(2) Management by land improvement districts
Key facilities
Approximately 60% of the key agricultural water-use facilities developed
Management body
under state-operated land improvement projects are managed by LIDs.
Number of
facilities
20
292
411
1,006
Percentage
Agricultural irrigation and
drainage canals
Number of
Percentage
facilities
94km
0.3%
928km
2.8%
16,547km
50.3%
15,237km
46.2%
State
1.1%
Prefectures
16.6%
Municipalities
23.4%
Land improvement
57.2%
districts
Others
29
1.7%
117km
0.4%
Total
1,758
100%
32,923km
100%
Source: Survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (as of the end
of March 2009)
Note: Breakdown of the key facilities: dams (231 locations), head works (334
locations), irrigation and drainage pumping stations (1,001 locations), sluice
gates (176 locations)
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13.
【 Business operations of the Federations of Land Improvement
Associations】
Federations of Land Improvement Associations
① Technical guidance on land improvement projects conducted by
members and other assistance
② Provision of education and information on land improvement projects
③ Survey and research on land improvement projects
④ Cooperation for land improvement projects conducted by the state or
prefectures
⑤ Guidance for projects by local federations, who are members, provided
by the national federation.
⑥ Other necessary projects
The Federations of Land Improvement Associations have been
established with the aim of promoting the members’ common interests
by ensuring appropriate implementation of land improvement projects
and efficient operation of land improvement districts, as a cooperative
organization of the people who conduct land improvement projects.
These Federations of Land Improvement Associations have been
【The system of the Federations of Land Improvement Associations】
established at the levels of prefectural and central governments with
National Federation of Land Improvement Associations
Members: Prefectural Federations of Land Improvement Associations and
extremely large-scale LIDs with 10,000ha or more land.
the approval of the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
LIDs in a prefecture consist of the members of a FLIA at prefectural
level and FLIAs at prefectural level consist of that at national level.
Therefore 47 FLIA at prefectural level and one FLIA at national level
have been legally established under the Land Improvement Act.
Prefectural Federations of Land
Improvement Associations
(47 federations)
Members: LIDs, Land Improvement
Associations, municipalities, agricultural
cooperatives, etc.
LIDs, etc.
(4,612)
Extremely large-scale LIDs
(4 districts)
Municipalities
Agricultural
(1,658)
cooperatives, etc.
(187)
Note①: ( ) = the number of members
Note②: as of April 2009
15
14.
Reference
○ Enactment of the Land Improvement Act
① Enacted in 1949 … … … The Cultivated Land Consolidation Act, Water
Utilization Association Act, Hokkaido Irrigation
Association Act and Agricultural Land Development Act
are consolidated into the LIA.
② Reasons for the enactment
○ Shift to a cultivator-oriented system
○ Unification of the system
○ Systematization of state- and prefecture-operated projects
○ Systematization of farmland collectivization
○ History of the main amendments to the Land Improvement Act
1. 1953 Amendment
【Background of the amendment】
・ Improving the procedures for changing the scope and plan of state- and
prefectural-operated projects
・Seeking rapid promotion of small-scale land improvement projects
① Establishment of a non-application system for state- and prefecture-operated
projects
② Establishment of a municipal-operated project system
2. 1957 Amendment
【Background of the amendment】
・Integrating two-stage procedures of approval of project suitability and final review
・Setting up a special account in the national budget system for the efficient
implementation and early completion of state-operated projects
・ Developing rules concerning management (operation and maintenance) and
disposal on state-operated land development facilities
① Simplification of procedures for starting land improvement projects
② Establishment of a special account for specified land improvement construction
③ Development of land improvement property-related rules
3. 1964 Amendment
【Background of the amendment】
・Clearly stating the achievement of the policy objectives as a purpose of the Act, in consistency
with the enactment of the Agricultural Basic Act being placed above agricultural laws.
・Allowing the Act (LIA) to also contribute to the development of the livestock industry, which
is a growing sector
・Establishing a system to contribute to the planned implementation of land improvement
projects
・Developing the rules of procedure to appropriately manage land improvement facilities
・Developing the rules of procedure to control the establishment of small and weak LIDs
① Revision of the purposes – in response to the enactment of the Agricultural Basic Act
② Expansion of land improvement projects (development and improvement of grassland)
③ Systematization of long-range land improvement projects
④ Improvement and streamlining of facility management (systematization of management
rules, etc.)
⑤ Improvement of the establishment system for land improvement districts by project
4. 1965 Amendment
【Background of the amendment】
・Establishing application procedures for local public entities, etc, for the promotion of dairy
farming
① Systematization of state- and prefecture-operated grassland development projects applied
for by local public entities
5. 1972 Amendment
【Background of the amendment】
・Responding to increasing competition between agricultural and other land use in rural areas
・Allowing the implementation of multiple construction works with one procedure under a
unified plan, and bringing it in line with the agricultural promotion plan.
・Establishing a project system to achieve the agricultural promotion area development plan.
・ Developing rules concerning the management of agricultural water-use facilities, etc.
accompanying urbanization
① Improvement of the handling of non-agricultural lands under the replotting system
② Establishment of the integrated land improvement projects (Combined projects with single
projects used to be implemented independently, hearing of mayors’ opinions)
③ Improvement of project implementation methods based on the agricultural promotion plan
(municipal application projects and municipal special application projects)
④ Coordination related to the use of agricultural irrigation and drainage facilities, etc
(municipal and other consultation systems, etc.)
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6. 1976 Amendment
【Background of the amendment】
・Expanding target project items for the special account in the national budget
system in order to contribute to the promotion of state-operated projects.
① Adding agricultural land development projects and land readjustment that is
conducted with them to target projects for the specified land improvement
construction special account.
7. 1984 Amendment
【Background of the amendment】
・Responding to increasingly serious problems such as pollution of agricultural
water due to contamination from local towns and villages with increasing
non-agricultural activities, etc.
・Establishing implementation procedures for community sewerage projects in order
to restore the quality of irrigation water in line with standard for water quality.
・Improving the establishment of non-agricultural land in replotting in response to
requests for regional development.
・Improving project procedures to maintain functions of land improvement facilities.
① Introduction of a governor decision-making system to the municipal and other
consultation system
② Legalization of implementation procedures for agricultural community
sewerage facility development projects
③ Improvement of the methods for systematically creating non-agricultural lands
from agricultural lands under the replotting system (acquisition of a specified
proportion of agricultural lands all together at once in a certain area for creating
new lands for non-agricultural use)
④ Improvement of project implementation procedures (simplification of the
approval collection procedure concerning facility renewal projects, etc.)
8. 1986 Amendment
【Background of the amendment】
・Taking measures to accelerate state-operated projects of which progress falls
behind other entities-operated projects under them
① Accounting in a special account for all state-operated land improvement
projects (reorganization to a state-operated land improvement project special
account)
9. 1991 Amendment
【Background of the amendment】
・In response to expanding benefits brought to local non-agricultural residents through the
implementation of projects amid the progress of mixed living in rural areas,
municipalities concerned need to bear the cost equivalent to the benefits because it is
difficult to identify beneficiaries among non-agricultural residents.
・ Needs for establishing procedures contributing to public intermediation program on
promoting trade and lease of agricultural lands etc.
・Improving the application system for facility renewal projects operated by LIDs.
① Clarification of project cost bearing by municipalities in state- and prefectural-operated
land improvement projects
② Improvement of the replotting system for the promotion of agricultural land trade and
lease, etc. (new agricultural land replotting, introduction of allocation of replotted land prior
to the completion of construction)
③ Improvement of application procedures for renewal projects of land improvement facilities
managed by the state or prefectures
10. 1993 Amendment
【Background of the amendment】
・Allowing more smooth project implementation procedures by communal agricultural
production corporations and individuals that conduct large-scale farm management
① Introduction of a project implementation system by eligible parties under Article 3
11. 2001 Amendment
【Background of the amendment】
・Responding to the request to implement land improvement projects with consideration in
harmony with the environment
・Building a system to promoting understand of the entire region with non-agricultural sectors
・Improving the procedures to appropriately maintain and renew land improvement facilities
・Building a system to abolish projects in light of the efficient implementation of projects
① Put the clarification of consideration in harmony with the environment into the procedures
as a principle of project implementation
② Introduction of procedures for better reflection of regional opinions (consultation with
mayors, establishment of a system to submit opinions of local residents, etc. and a system
to hear opinions of specified beneficiaries)
③ Improvement of application procedures for renewal projects
④ Introduction of procedures to abolish state- and prefecture-operated projects and
improvement of the system for cost bearing
17