Do Vegetable Attributes Matter? Consumer Choices and Market Implications from District Charsadda, Pakistan

Abstract

Consumer concern in food safety, pesticide residue and sustainable production has resulted in greater demand for quality differentiated vegetables. This study looks into the consumers' preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for vegetable attributes in District Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Data were gathered from 300 consumers by using a structured questionnaire and the discrete choice experiment method was used to assess preferences regarding freshness, chemical-free production, production origin and price attributes. A Random Utility based mixed logit model was used for estimating consumer preferences and the consideration of preference heterogeneity. The results show that price has a negative and significant impact on consumer decision, whereas freshness, chemical-free production and production origin have a positive influence with mean WTP 52, 48, 20, respectively. Various random parameters confirm heterogeneity in consumer preferences where there is a significant amount of. The estimated mean WTP indicates that consumers are willing to pay about an extra monetary unit for desired vegetable characteristics. The results indicate that the food safety regulations, chemical-free production, labeling and information system can be improved to promote market opportunities for producers and to ensure sustainable vegetable markets in Pakistan.