Consumer Preference Analyses For Banana And Sweet Orange Fruits

Banana and sweet orange fruits are among the fruits highly demanded by consumers in Nigeria. They are important nutritional, economic and industrial fruits which apart from containing good sources of vitamins, minerals and roughages, aid digestion and thus promote good health. Industrially, they can be processed into canned or bottled juice which together with the packaged fresh fruits are exported to earn foreign exchange. They also, provide employment and income to a large number of farmers and middlemen who are massively involved in their marketing; spanning from the south to the north of the country. In Nigeria, studies on quality characteristics of fruits, particularly for banana and sweet oranges, that influence consumer preference are rare. Thus, this book seeks to provide a better understanding of these quality characteristics to farmers, marketers and consumers of these fruits so that they can make informed decisions. The Hedonic Pricing Model which falls within the precincts of random utility economic models, was used to examine important attributes which influence consumer preference and price for these fruits in the market. Therefore, this book is very relevant.