Determining Consumer Preferences for Sweet Potatoes: Methods and Results

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E XAMINATION of marketing problems under investigation at land-grant colleges indicates that most research workers have given relatively little attention to studies of consumer preferences for agricultural products. These workers often have overlooked the fact that buyers with market baskets are a source of information that can be useful in improving the marketing system. Buyers also have been ignored by farmers and representatives of marketing agencies who tend to rely on their own personal opinions and hunches in evaluating the wants of consumers. In fact, considerable wishful thinking and rationalization have characterized the views of the produce trade on matters of consumer preferences. It is being recognized, however, that the likes and dislikes of the homemaker, her opinions and prejudices, and the amount of money she has in her pocketbook, all are important items in determining the merchandizing methods used and the products bought. In buying any product the homemaker is confronted with the need for making decisions. These decisions, among other things, are affected by degree and kind of packaging, prevailing prices, and extent to which other products may be substituted. The question arises then as to methods which should be used in obtaining an objective measure of consumers' preferences as a first step in developing a merchandizing system for specific farm products.