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Generally in Tanzania consumers prefer local chickens and pay premium prices compared
to other chickens due to the perception that local chicken tastes better, nutritious and
organically raised. However, productivity levels of local chicken are low resulting to low
outputs hence limiting their potential for commercialization. For that reason, the African
Chicken Genetic Gain program has recently introduced tropically adapted improved
chicken including Sasso, Kuroiler and Black austrolop strains which have higher
productivity levels in terms of growth rate and eggs production than local chicken to
enhance income generation to rural farmers. The introduction or development of any new
product in the market needs to take into account consumer‟s preference analysis because
in determining the demand for a product it is useful to think of consumers not as
purchasing the product, but its attributes that provide utility. Therefore, this study sought
to analyze consumer preference attributes for tropically adapted improved chicken in
Morogoro and Njombe regions. Multistage sampling technique was employed to select
120 respondents in Morogoro and Njombe regions. Results of Kendall coefficient
indicated that consumers were in agreement by 67% on attributes of tropically adapted
improved chickens which influence purchasing and consumption decision. The attributes
were, weight of chicken, price of chicken, sex of chicken, fat content, tenderness,
plumage colour and taste of chickens in that order. Results of hedonic price model
indicated that large sized chicken, male chicken, tender, low fat chicken and mixed colour
chicken significantly received premium prices. Monthly income, household size and
marital status significantly influenced the willingness to pay for the chicken. Farmers in
the study regions and beyond should strategize their production practices by adopting
keeping of the improved strains by enhancing preferred attributes so as to benefit from
high revenue realized from premium prices for these attributes. |
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