Awareness of IFSERAR’s Pasteurized Milk, Perception and Willingness to Pay in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Milk is a source of protein but contains some micro-organisms which could be harmful if consumed raw. Pasteurization helps in making it safe for consumption without substantial depletion of its nutrient composition. This study examined the level of awareness of pasteurized milk, amount willing to pay per liter and factors influencing willingness to pay in Ogun state, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used. Da ta were analyzed with descriptive and Probit regression methods. The results revealed that mean amount households were willing to pay was N 138.44 per liter. The level of awareness of IFSERAR's milk was very low (21.20%). The factors that influenced willingness to pay were age, sex, household size, knowledge of the benefits of pasteurized milk, price, its flavour, and shelf life. It was recommended that in order to increase consumption, there is the need for awareness creation about the product, addition of flavour to give it better odour and tastes and improvement of shelf life of pasteurized milk.