Optimizing Farmers’ Market Pickup Service and Evaluating Its Economic Viability

<p>To address the aging farming population, farmers’ markets have implemented a pickup service for collecting agricultural products. However, previous research has shown that it is unprofitable. Moreover, it is unclear whether the pickup service was designed optimally in the previous study. Given the aging farming population, the spatial distribution of pickup service users is expected to become sparse in the future, and the demand for pickup services is anticipated to expand spatially. In this regard, designing an economically sustainable and efficient pickup route with multiple pickup points is necessary.</p><p>In this study, first, we design a farmers’ market pickup model using a Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP). Previous research on VRP did not take the loading and unloading times into account. However, in the farmers’ market pickup service, inspecting agricultural products and loading and unloading them from the truck is necessary. The driver also has to transmit information to the users of this service. To reflect such reality, we establish a pickup time constraint equation that considers truck running times and loading and unloading times.</p><p>Second, we demonstrate that the time limit in the constraint equation is valid for adjusting the designed model for planning pickup services in the mountainous areas of Fukuoka Prefecture.</p><p>Finally, we examine the economic viability of the case study. After verifying the balance between total pickup costs and usage fees, we conclude that operating the pickup service on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays is economically viable.</p>