Abstract
Dried mangoes are new in the Kenyan market and there are no studies in Kenya to demonstrate consumer awareness and willingness to pay (WTP) for them. The use of natural preservatives produces healthier products and it is not clear whether dried mangoes preserved this way would fetch a premium price. In addition, factors that would condition WTP for such mangoes in a cosmopolitan city like Nairobi are not known. Hence this study makes a modest attempt to bridge this knowledge gap. Primary data was collected from 414 consumers of fruits and processed fruit products that were randomly selected from the main retail outlets in Nairobi. Descriptive statistics were used to assess consumer awareness and WTP amount while a tobit model was used to estimate the conditioning factors. In order to minimize the probability of starting-point bias found in interactive bidding techniques, this study elicited the maximum WTP amount for naturally preserved dried mangoes. The study found low (16%) awareness of solar dried mangoes. Consumers were WTP an average premium of an estimated 29% for naturally preserved mangoes, with taste being a key quality attribute. Consumer WTP for naturally preserved dried mangoes was positively influenced by age, gender, education, marital status, mass media, place of purchase and having tasted naturally preserved dried mangoes. Product promotion through the mass media and within the retail stores is necessary to raise awareness and influence demand. These findings are useful in developing niche markets for solar dried mangoes.
Key words
Post-harvest losses; Consumer awareness; Solar dried mangoes; Willingness to pay; Tobit model