Consumer preference and willingness to pay for value added fish products in Palakkad, Kerala

Abstract

The technological changes in production, processing and distribution dictate todays’ food market. Changing life style and rising income have set a new trend in the demand for quality food among the consumers.In view of increasing awareness about nutritious diet and health, the necessity to bring in strict quality control, value addition and consumer appeal in food products has become important. A study was conducted in Palakkad District of Kerala to evaluate the consumer preference and willingness to pay for value added fish products. Ingredients, price, cooking method and perceived quality were the attributes studied at various levels. Applying an orthogonal design, 18 hypothetical product concepts were generated and 120 selected respondents were asked to rank the product concepts according to their preference. A conjoint analysis of the data revealed that quality is the most important attribute influencing consumer behaviour. A positive willingness to pay was also observed for quality. The results show that certified quality is important to improve market opportunities for value added fish products. It was seen that the consumers in the young and earning age group were ready to pay 10-15% more for a quality ensured fish product.