Tuskegee Scholarly Publications, PP. 26-41
The primary objective of the study was to examine determinants of consumer preferences for and
expenditure on rice in the Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. Data were collected from a random
sample of 230 participants, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analyses. The
descriptive statistics revealed that domestic rice was preferred by a majority of the participants
over imported rice. The most important attribute for consumers was aroma, followed by taste,
cleanness, and price. The logistic regression analysis showed that price of a substitute, quality, and
household size had significant effects on preference for rice, domestic or imported. The OLS
analysis revealed that the price of rice, income, frequency of consumption, and household size had
significant effects on expenditure on rice. It is suggested that domestic rice should be promoted,
and influential factors should be considered in any consumption and policy changes in the rice
industry.