Abstract
Rice is considered the second most important cereal to maize in Africa. Unlike maize, its consumption outweighs its domestic production leading to a high import wage bill. Ghana has been tackling this problem through various policies and programs which include increasing domestic production. However, consumer preferences for certain characteristics of rice have impeded the effort to reverse this trend, despite increasing domestic production. Studies on rice consumption preferences have often lacked a broader contextualization of rice consumption patterns. These studies have often targeted consumption at the household level ignoring the fact that consumption at the vending level is equally important, especially in cities and cosmopolitan areas. This study has been able to model consumption preferences at both household and vending levels. The studies analyzed data from 100 food (rice) vendors and 200 households in the Tamale Metropolis and Sagnarigu Municipality. A probit model is used with a suspected endogenous variable (origin of rice), which is controlled for using the Wooldridge control function approach. The study revealed preference for imported rice is less likely in the household compared with the vending level. Other characteristics of rice such as cooking time, cleanness, color, aroma, grain size, texture, expansion capacity, perceived nutritional benefits, and packaging were found to affect consumer’s preferences both at the household and vending levels. 10 local rice processors were interviewed on their ability to produce rice reflecting these characteristics consumers consider. The challenges they faced were also analyzed. The study recommends factoring in rice vendors in both research and policy formulation relating to decreasing rice importation. It also recommends consideration of rice processing companies in the One District One Factory (IDIF) program.
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Data availability
The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Notes
The respondents under the household and the vending levels are the decision makers in terms of rice meals prepared. These decisions are made on behalf of the respondents themselves and the final consumers of the prepared rice meal. Whiles the final consumers of the rice meals are the household members, the customers are those at the vending level.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the contributions of the staff of the Department of Agricultural and Food Economics of the University for Development Studies, Ghana, for their constructive criticism of this study in the departmental seminar series.
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ABTA: conceptualization, data analysis, methodology, data analysis. SM: questionnaires design and data collection, data analysis, discussing results, original draft preparation. ML: data analysis, validation of data and results, reviewing and editing.
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For each respondent, a statement of consent on the first page of the questionnaire was read out to them. The consent statement reads “This study is aimed at examining the consumption preferences of rice and would appreciate if you could complete the following questions. The purpose of this interview is mainly for academics and you can feel free to ask any questions that will bother you as the interview is in session. Do I have your consent to proceed?”.
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Abukari, AB.T., Morro, S. & Lambongang, M. Modeling rice consumption preferences: an improved approach. SN Bus Econ 2, 192 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43546-022-00372-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43546-022-00372-6