CAPOKobe, Fukiai High School : PLATON
Executive Summary
The world is coming across an aging society. Taking the example of Japan, according to the Ministryof Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2016, 1,254,000 people, about 65% of the whole farmers in Japanare over the age of 65. Agriculture is now in a hard situation because of the decreasing number of workers.
Especially in small fields such as rice terraces where farm machineries cannot be used, it is hard work forthe elderly to cultivate and harvest their crops, and takes time and demanding labor. Our product, “CAPO”
standing for “Combines of Agricultural and Portable Objects” can make farming of these people easier andmore efficient.
MissionOur mission is to take advantages of rice terraces, that can grow crops well and aim at making
farming more efficient and active with “CAPO”. “CAPO” is a “portable land” for agriculture. It enables
people to cultivate and to harvest of crops in broad land and growing them in small field such as rice terrace.
“CAPO” will reduce the amount of works of the farmers by the division of labor and using machines. Also, itwould be done in ecological way by using bioplastic. We aim to sell 8,250,000 “CAPOs” as the final goal, but
it is not in three years.
Operation/Product and Services“CAPO,” the product we would suggest is a box-shaped basket with the size 25am high, 100cm
wide and 100cm long and has two grips, and it is made from bioplastic. We will produce them in our own
factory. To use it, firstly place CAPOs on broad flat acres such as temporarily vacant land, put soil, then theseed of the crops the farmers wish to get. Next, farmers will take back their CAPOs to their small fields andbury them to leave it to grow. When they are ready to harvest, farmers would take out the CAPOs out of
their land and take it back to the broad flat acres again for them to be harvested by farm machineries. It has
been impossible to use machines in their small land, however, by using CAPOs and moving the crops to beharvested using farm machineries, the hardest part of cultivating and harvesting in a small land can bedone very easily at once. With CAPOs, the work will be far more efficient. Those broad and vacant land canbe used for something else except for the seasons of cultivation and harvest, or partly can make use of empty
lots. In addition, farmers can hire part-time workers such as students on conveying the CAPOs to and fromtheir small land and broad land. Each CAPO can be identified by a label on them.
Bioplastic is made of a wide variety of natural feedstocks including corn, potatoes, rice, tapioca,
palm fiber, wood cellulose, wheat fiber and bagasse. It is carbon neutral as it doesn’t emit CO2, so it doesn’t
proceed to global warming as ordinary plastics would do. When buried in soil, it is decomposed to water andcarbon dioxide by microorganisms, the plants use the carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, and because themicroorganisms become active, it gives a good effect on soil.
Market/Industry Analysis
The market we are going to join is the farmers who possess narrow field like rice terrace,
agricultural cooperatives, and companies, because “CAPO” will help them with reducing the amount of work.
Because of unknown total area of narrow field around the world, and the difficulties on sales marketing
without trusted basis, we will focus our business in Japan in the first three year. We are going to increase
the number of products year by year. In the first year, “CAPO” aim at accounting for 100h.Our final goal ofpenetrate in Japan is 8250000 ㎡, meaning sales of 8250000 of “CAPO.” Though it will not achieved in first
three years. We estimated this number in this flow; according to the Ministry of Agricultures, Forestry andFisheries, 2005, the total area of rice terrace in Japan is 137578 ha. All the area is not square, so by
calculating a square inscribed in a round of 1ha, the area “CAPO” can be used will be about 60% of the total.
And we target 1% of this area, so then the number above comes. As the business to activate rice terrace andother fields, there are enterprise like “owners’ system,” irrigation and so on, such products like ours; which
can reduce the amount of work of farmers are what has never been made, so the market is almost ourmonopoly.
Marketing/Strategy and implementation
Short run: We will sell the product to every farmer, agriculture cooperatives, and companies. We
can be trusted by talking directly in sales, and can listen to the real situation of farmers, so this must bebasically the best way for marketing. In addition, we can advertise our product on paper published byagricultural cooperatives, which costs about $2000 dollars for ten days.
Middle Term: After the product being popular and trusted among farmers in Japan, we will expand
the range of customers internationally. Some employees will go to some Asian countries for sales.
Long run: After the business taking off, we will devote funds on research expenses. Bioplastic now
have much to develop, so our business can contribute to it. Also, we can produce “CAPO” in lower price, ormake new products which can help farmers in more efficient ways.
FinanceConclusion
Our

product“CAPO”

will play an important role in thefuture agriculture which would
lack labor. With the use of CAPO,
the hard work on small fields
such as rice terraces will bereduced,andmadeefficient.

Because of its simple system,
anyone can use it and it creates
part-time

jobs.

bioplastic

canTheuseraiseofthenutritional value of soil and evenprevent

globalwarming.

Itmeans farmers themselves canbe the ones to solve social
problems. It has estimation of
stable profit and after two years,
we would have positive balance
which meets investors’ expectations. The investment of $80.000 is not too expensive and low-risk comparedto other enterprises’ seed money. We promise to give good amount of collateral in return of your investment.
Why don’t you contribute with us to solving social problems?