A preliminary study on young consumer preferences of herbs on daily consumption usage

Abstract

The demand for ginger has increased recently among local consumers in Malaysia. Despite the wide cultivation of herbs such as Zingiber officinale (ginger), Citrus aurantifolia (lime), Centella asiatica (Asiatic pennyworts), Parkia speciose (bitter bean) and Citrus microcarpa (calamansi) in Sarawak, Malaysia, the demands for these raw herbs are still increasing in the region. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the actual preference and demands of herbs on daily consumption usage by local communities in Sarawak. A total of 95 respondents from 11 divisions who participated in this preliminary study were assessed from the aspects of demography, finished herbal product preference in terms of price and packaging, and their usage of herbal products. Descriptive analysis revealed that 75.8% of respondents preferred fresh herbs over dry and liquid extracts. The analysis of the 26 herbs reflected that ginger (92.6%), calamansi (83.2%), and leaf celery (80%) as the top three preferred fresh herbs. In terms of packaging type, 44.2% of respondents preferred herbs that were packed in transparent plastic bags than containers and paper bags. Findings from this study are encouraging for herbal farmers and entrepreneurs to strategize their herbal production in line with the actual consumers’ demands and preferences. Although this is a preliminary study which does not fully be representative of Sarawak region and therefore further study is required to explore further insights for market demand for the fresh herbs.