Demand For Vegetables Research Articles

Deciphering the Plasticizers for the Development of Polysaccharide based Biodegradable Edible Coatings

Abstract: There is persistently a high demand for fresh fruits and vegetables all over the world. One of the crucial factors that reduces the shelf life of fruits and vegetables is temperature- dependent oxidation during transportation and long storage. Fruits and vegetables coating using eco-friendly coatings hold great advantage over the other synthetic coating materials. The fruits and vegetables coated with coating can prevent from rapid oxidation even at warm temperatures. It enhances the quality and shelf life and maintain the nutritional properties. Though, edible coatings prove to be beneficial, the major drawbacks associated with it is the vulnerability towards moisture- dependent rapid degradation of these fruits and vegetables. Use of appropriate plasticizers would be helpful in enhancing the moisture and oxidation resistance. The current review article will highlight the use of various plasticizers used with polysaccharide-based coatings.

Quadratic almost ideal demand system analysis of demand for selected vegetables and fruits in nigeria

This study analyzed the demand for selected vegetables and fruits in Nigeria. It determined price effects on demand for fruits and vegetables, examined the demographic variables influencing demand and revealed the expenditure elasticity across income quartiles and sectors. Data from the three waves of Living Standard Measurement Survey-Integrated Survey on Agriculture namely 2010/11, 2012/13 and 2015/16, were employed in the analysis. The demand for bananas, citrus, pineapples, fresh okra, onions pepper and tomatoes was examined using the Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System. Households in Nigeria consumed more vegetables than fruits. The results revealed that the staple vegetables in Nigerian diets are tomatoes, onions and pepper. It was observed that movement in relative prices elicited high quantity response. All the fruits and vegetables included in the model were normal goods. Vegetables and fruits responded similarly to expenditure increases in urban and rural Nigeria. The own-price elasticities, both uncompensated and compensated agree with the demand theory. More consideration should be given to the intensifying production of fruits and vegetables in technology development and investment to make them available and affordable.

Responses of Worowo [Senecio biafrae (Oliv. & Hiern.) S. Moore] to Composts enriched with Organic Nitrogen Sources

Worowo (Senecio biafrae) is a semi-wild, indigenous and nutritious vegetable. Demand for worowo vegetable is increasing due to its nutritional values, thus necessitating its domestication for increased production. However, there is limited information on soil fertility requirements of worowo and the use of inorganic fertilizers could be expensive and detrimental to environment. Composts, on the other hand are environment-friendly and effective, but their use is constrained by low nitrogen contents, thereby necessitating enrichment with various nitrogen sources. Responses of worowo to organically enriched composts were therefore investigated. Composted Cattle Dung+Sawdust (CDS) and Poultry Droppings+Sawdust (PDS), at 1:1 (w/w) were enriched to 60 g N/ kg with meals from dried bone-BnM, blood-BM, hoof-HM, and horn-HnM, neem-NM and Tithonia leaves-TM. Compost treatments obtained were: CDS and PDS (no enrichment added), CDSBnM, CDSBM, CDSHM, CDSHnM, CDSNM and CDSTM; PDSBnM, PDSBM, PDSHM, PDSHnM, PDSNM and PDSTM. Worowo was raised in pots with CDS, PDS and 60 g N/kg enriched composts at 30 t/ha and control (soil alone), compared with 60 kg N/ha NPK 15-15-15 in a completely randomized design with three replicates. Data generated from the growth indices and edible Shoot Yield (ESY) of worowo (t/ ha), which were measured at 60, 120 and 180 Days After Planting (DAP) were analyzed using ANOVA at α0.05. ¬¬¬¬¬¬The ESY (t/ha) of 60 g N/kg CDSNM (54.93) was significantly higher than NPK (36.53) and others but similar to CDS (50.93) while pots treated with PDS were lowest (8.00). The CDSDNM at 60 g N/kg applied at 30 t/ha could hence be adopted for worowo production.

Do Post-harvest Losses Affect the Farmers’ Income? - Post-Harvest Loss Estimation for Major Vegetables in South India

Over the last two decades, India’s food system with population surge has been undergoing a transformation with increase in demand for high value fruits and vegetables. However, farmers are not benefitted from these transitions as the post-harvest losses are fairly high due to poorly developed post-harvest management practices. The present study aims to estimate the nature and extent of losses and also analysed the determinants of post-harvest losses for major vegetables (gourds) in South India. Palakkad district of Kerala was chosen for the study as it contributes the most, for the state’s vegetable area and production. Multi-stage random sampling techniques were adopted and the vegetables selected were based on their annual production in the study area. The total loss observed in bitter gourd at farm level was about 12.46 percent (34.53 qtl/ha). At trader level, the physiological loss contributed to almost 45 percent of the total losses. Hence, the total loss in bitter gourd was observed to be 21.88 per cent. Likewise in snake gourd, the extent of losses at farm level was found to be 9 percent (26.1 qtl/ha), where the highest losses (4.74 percent) were due to biotic factors like pests and diseases prevailing in the study area. Therefore, the total loss estimated in snake gourd was 13.89 percent which included 4.89 percent loss at trader level. Regression analyses delineated that in bitter gourd, area under cultivation, unfavourable weather conditions, pests and diseases and use of packing materials like jute sacks and wooden baskets were found as major determinants for losses. Whereas, area under cultivation, experience in farming and prevailing pests and diseases in snake gourd were found to affect the volume of post-harvest losses at farm level. The study found that adoption of proper post-harvest handling practices by farmers would help minimizing the losses to a remarkable extent. Besides, analysis of farmers’ perception, brought out the fact that the farmers aware of losses incurred only to a limited extent.

Consumers Willing to Pay for Freshwater-Grown Vegetables in District Faisalabad, Pakistan

Due to the scarcity of freshwater supplies, farmers have increasingly turned to wastewater for irrigation to grow crops. However, this practice poses risks as vegetables grown with wastewater may contain toxins and heavy metals that are harmful to human health, soil quality, and groundwater resources. Consequently, these vegetables can cause diseases, while freshwater-grown vegetables are more expensive due to the scarcity of water. This paper focuses on exploring consumers' willingness to pay for vegetables grown in freshwater and investigates factors such as age, income, education, bid price, risk perception, and health risk perception that influence their willingness to pay a premium price for these vegetables. The study was conducted in Faisalabad city, where 130 vegetable consumers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The findings indicate that consumers highly value their health and are willing to pay a premium price for safe and healthy vegetables. This highlights the need for businesses and policymakers to meet the demand for safe vegetables by providing a consistent and reliable supply of treated water to farmers and educating them on the proper use of agrochemicals to mitigate health risks. Policymakers and other stakeholders can play a role in supporting vegetable farmers with these resources. This creates an opportunity for investors to establish businesses that meet the demand for safe and healthy vegetables in Faisalabad.

Effects of COVID-19 on Food Demand in Rural Indonesia: The Case of Bengkulu Province

This paper examines food demand before and after the outbreak of COVID-19 and studies the effects of the situation on households’ demand for food in rural Indonesia, in the case of Bengkulu Province. The research data is taken from the Indonesia Socio-Economic Survey (SUSENAS) as a microdata set which is collected annually by Indonesia Central Statistics Agency (BPS) from 2017 to 2021. The effect of COVID-19 on food demand estimates using the Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS). The results demonstrate that prepared food expenditure is the largest portion of household expenditure on food in the Bengkulu rural area. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, animal source food is the most sensitive to food expenditure, but after the outbreak, prepared food is the most sensitive. Staple food is the most expenditure-inelastic before and after the outbreak. Expenditure for animal source food, vegetables & fruits, and prepared food have significant differences between before and after the outbreak. All the food groups substitute for each other before the outbreak, whereas staple food and prepared food cannot be regarded as a substitute for each other after the outbreak. There are eleven of the compensated price elasticities whose differences between before and after the outbreak are significant, whereas as a set the compensated price elasticities are significantly different between before and after the outbreak. Other food is the easiest to be substituted for both phases. Prepared food is the most difficult to be substituted before the outbreak, but the staple food is the most difficult to be substituted after the outbreak. After the outbreak of COVID-19, the demand for vegetables & fruits increases, but the demand for staple food and prepared food decreases, ceteris paribus. Family size, children, gender, age, and other demographics variables have an impact on household food demand. These findings imply that after the outbreak, the supply of vegetables & fruits should be increased and that government support for suppliers of staple food and prepared food will be preferable.

Constraints Analysis in Production and Marketing of Organic Vegetables Using Garrett’s Ranking Technique

The present study focuses on livelihood status of organic vegetable growers as an integral part of rural society, hence the research objective was formulated to study the constraints faced by vegetable growers in production and marketing of organic vegetables. Study was conducted in the Akola, Amravati, Yavatmal, Buldhana, and Washim districts of Western Vidarbha region of Maharashtra state in the year 2021 with 240 respondents. Garrett’s ranking technique was used to study the opinions of the farmers regarding the major constraints associated with production and marketing of organic vegetables. The organic vegetable growers reported major constraints that were being faced by them during production in the study area were lack of published information regarding various practices of organic vegetable farming with Garrett’s score 57.80 followed by shifting to pure organic farming is a very time consuming and labours methods with Garrett’s score is 54.22 and during marketing of organic vegetables lack of marketing facility for organic produce with Garrett’s score 54.87 rank first followed by lack of bulk local demand for organic vegetables with Garrett’s score 53.87. These factors highlight the weak links, which need to be strengthened for promoting organic farming.

Characteristics of drought propagation and effects of water resources on vegetation in the karst area of Southwest China

The topography is complex in the southwest karst region of China, with severe surface water scarcity but abundant groundwater resources. Studying drought propagation and vegetation demand for water is important to effectively protect the ecological environment and improve the management of water resources. We employed CRU precipitation data, GLDAS, and GRACE data to calculate SPI (Standardized precipitation index), SSI (Standardized soil moisture index), SRI (Standardized runoff index), and GDI (Groundwater drought index), characterizing meteorological, agricultural, surface water and groundwater droughts, respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient was adopted to study the propagation time of these four types of droughts. The random forest method was used to identify the importance of precipitation, 0–10 cm soil water, 10–200 cm soil water, surface runoff, and groundwater for NDVI (Normalized difference vegetation index), SIF (Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence), and NIRV (Near-infrared reflectance index of vegetation) at the pixel scale. The propagation time of meteorological drought to agricultural drought and agricultural drought to groundwater drought in the karst area of southwest China was significantly reduced by 1.25 months compared with the non-karst area. The response of SIF to meteorological drought was faster than that of NDVI and NIRV. The importance of water resources for vegetation in the whole study period (2003−2020) was ranked as precipitation, soil water, groundwater, and surface runoff. The contribution of soil water and groundwater in forest was 38.66 %, while 31.66 % and 21.67 % for grassland and cropland, respectively, which indicated that the demands of soil water and groundwater in forest were greater than that of grassland and cropland. When drought occurred (2009–2010), soil water, precipitation, runoff, and groundwater were ranked in order of importance. The importance of 0-200 cm soil water was 48.67 %, 57 %, and 41 % in forest, grassland, and cropland, respectively, higher than precipitation, runoff, and groundwater, indicating that soil water was the main water resource for vegetation to cope with drought. Since the cumulative effect of drought on SIF was more obvious, SIF showed a more serious negative anomaly than NDVI and NIRV from March to July 2010. The correlation coefficients between SIF, NDVI, NIRV, and precipitation were 0.94, 0.79, and 0.89 (P < 0.001), and the correlation coefficients with groundwater were −0.27 (P < 0.001), −0.02 (P > 0.05) and −0.15 (P < 0.05), respectively. Compared to NDVI and NIRV, SIF was more sensitive to meteorological drought and groundwater drought and had great potential in drought monitoring.

MARKETING MIX ON PURCHASE DECISION OF HYDROPONIC VEGETABLES

The need for vegetables is increasing in line with public awareness about health. During the Covid-19 virus pandemic, the demand for hydroponic vegetables continued to increase. Media hydroponics is farming without a soil culture, so that vegetables emerge from hydroponic farming systems that are more hygienic and healthy because they don't use pesticides. This study aims to quantitatively analyze the relationship or influence between the independent variables product (XI), price (X2), promotion (X3), place (X4) on the dependent variable on the decision to purchase hydroponic vegetables (Y). The data used in this study are primary and secondary data. The results showed that the product variable (X1), the purchase decision is positive in other words, the increasing quality of products offered to consumers will increase sales and consumer confidence in the products offered, the price variable (X2) in this analysis is negative with In other words, the increase in the price of the product offered will also reduce the purchasing decision or product demand from consumers, the place variable (X3) on the purchase decision is positive, in other words, the more strategic the location of the business or access to places to sell products offered to consumers, the more increase sales, and the promotion variable (X4) on the purchase decision is positive, in other words, the more active and intense the promotion of the products offered to consumers, the more sales will increase. This promotion can be done in many different ways. advertising on social media as well as tv, radio and newspapers.

Intra-urban market gardening in the face of increasing demand for vegetables among urban dwellers: measuring pesticides and health risks in Bouake (Côte d’Ivoire)

Intra-urban market gardening in the face of increasing demand for vegetables among urban dwellers: measuring pesticides and health risks in Bouake (Côte d’Ivoire)

Food security and resilience: An experimental study of household food consumption in the central region of Mali

Mali is a Sahelian country and structurally vulnerable to food insecurity and malnutrition caused by the recent humanitarian crises the country has faced. The aim of the present study was to assess household food consumption and identify the essential determinants for increasing household dietary diversity and improving one of the pillars of food security for local populations in the locality of Bankass and Koro. The data from the household survey around 1396 households was subjected to an ordinal probit model to perform the econometric analysis. The results showed that the evaluation of household consumption was necessary to properly guide the household food basket in decision making. Our analysis showed a statistically significant relationship for households in Koro at 1% for households that consume fruit, meat and dairy products at Bankass, leaves, sour foods, oil and fats are also consumed by very few households, but only fruit at the 5% and 10% thresholds. However, households in the study area have access to five food groups to ensure their household food consumption. A total demand for cereals, tubers and vegetables was observed to be unavailable to households. About 90% are not able to satisfy the essential food needs of their household. In conclusion the base of daily meals is essentially composed of cereals, fats, sugars and condiments and complemented by the consumption of animal proteins and leafy vegetables. Opportunities for diversifying household diets in a crisis or shock situation in a community still remains an issue despite the humanitarian response households need to support their socio-economic reintegration.

Analysis of Physicochemical Changes During the Ripening of Cavendish Banana and Velchi Banana

Fruits and vegetables play very important role in our day-to-day life because of their nutrition parameters. In recent years organic cultivation is more popular as there is more demand for organic fruits and vegetables. Due to very high nutrition benefits and considering the easily availability of banana, it is most demandable and afforded by common man. Consumer decides the quality of banana based on their physical characteristics. Simple experiment was carried out to study and analyse physical properties, nutritional properties of two varieties of banana Cavendish Banana and Velchi banana. The study shows that the colour of banana changes gradually from dark green to yellow with brown spots which increases in ripeness. The banana weight goes on reducing with ripening days. The 21.83% and 9.8% reduction weight is observed in Cavendish and Velchi Banana respectively. The pulp to peel ratio increases with increase in ripening. Ratio varied from 1.69 to 1.77 for cavendish and 3.2 to 4.8 for Velchi. The pH value goes on increasing during the ripening days whereas once fruit is overripe it starts decreasing. The pH value varies from 4.2 to 5.4. Total Soluble Sugar gradually increases till banana becomes overripe. TSS varies from 4.5 to 26.7. The majority characteristics used for grading are colour, pulp to peel ratio, TSS and pH. This paper represents the analysis of Cavendish banana and Velchi banana based on colour, TSS and pH. The study shows TSS goes on increasing with ripening whereas pH decreases once banana overripe

Climate suitability division of solar greenhouse in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.

To resolve the issue of scientific planning and rational layout of different vegetable greenhouses in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, we selected the days of low temperature in winter, sunshine hours, overcast days, extreme minimum temperature, days of monsoon disaster, days of snow cover in production season of greenhouse as the climate zoning indicators, based on ground-based observation data from 119 meteorological stations (1991 to 2020) and the growing demand of leafy and fruity vegetables in greenhouse, combined with the analysis of key meteorological factors in production season and the study of meteorological disaster indicators such as low temperature and cold damage, wind disaster, snow disaster. We analyzed the indices, classification and division of comprehensive climate suitability zoning of leafy and fruity vegetables at various slopes (35°, 40°) of solar greenhouse by the weighted sum method. The results showed that the climatic suitability zoning grades of leafy and fruity vegetables at 35° and 40° slope of greenhouse was highly consistent, and that the greenhouse climate suitability of leafy vegetables was higher than that of fruity vegetables in the same region. As the slope increased, wind disaster index decreased and snow disaster index increased. Climate suitability was different in areas affected by wind and snow disasters. The northeast of the study area was mainly affected by snow disasters, and the climate suitability of 40° slope was higher than 35°. The southeast of the study area was mainly affected by wind disasters, and the climate suitability of 35° slope was higher than 40°. Alxa League, Hetao Irrigation District, Tumochuan Plain, most parts of Ordos, southeast of Yanshan foothills and the south of West Liaohe Plain were the most suitable area for the solar greenhouse, because they had the suitable solar and hot resources and the low risks of wind and snow damage, which were also the key development areas of current and future facility agriculture. Due to the deficiency of solar and hot resources, high energy consumption in greenhouse production and frequent snow storms, the area around Khingan range in the northeast of Inner Mongolia was unsuitable for greenhouse.

Rantai Pasok Sayuran Hidroponik Di Pasar Modern Dian Pertiwi Kota Ambon

Hydroponic vegetables are horticultural commodities that are very important to meet the nutritional needs of the community. The increase in population also contributes to the increase in demand for horticultural commodities. One of the vegetable commodities produced is hydroponic vegetables. The increasing demand for hydroponic vegetables has led to the emergence of hydroponic entrepreneurs who have begun to develop hydroponic vegetable commodities, but problems with meeting demand arise due to the limited supply of hydroponic vegetables. This study aims to determine the supply chain of hydroponic vegetables in the modern market of Dian Pertiwi Poka, Ambon City and to determine marketing margins and marketing efficiency in the supply chain. The data collected in this study are primary data and secondary data. The results of this study indicate that the supply chain of hydroponic vegetables in the Dian Pertiwi supermarket through the supply chain, namely: Dian Pertiwi supermarket → consumers. Based on the marketing analysis of lettuce hydroponic vegetables and pakcoy the marketing margin on the hydroponic lettuce supply chain is Rp. 14,985 and pakcoy Rp. 14,250. The most efficient marketing is the marketing of pakcoy vegetables with an efficiency value of 19.04 percent

Impact of bacteriocins from Lactococcus lactis CRL1109 and citric acid on the microbiological, physicochemical and sensory qualities of minimally processed vegetables

The increasing demand for fresh vegetables and for convenience foods is causing an expansion of minimally processed vegetables (MPV) market. The MPV industry is constantly looking for new technologies to maintain quality and for inhibit undesired microbial growth along the production chain. Biopreservation is considered a promising strategy to reduce the chemical preservatives use. In this work, the individual effect of the bacteriocin Bac1109, produced by Lactococcus lactis CRL1109, and citric acid (C. acid) in minimally processed carrots and purple cabbage stored at 4 °C for 12 d in aerobic packaging (AP) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) was evaluated. A significant reduction of the spoilage microorganism growth (Leuconostoc mesenteroides CRL950) and total viable cell count was achieved with the Bac1109 addition in the MPV after 12 d of storage. This treatment delayed respiratory activity, reduced the loss of carotenoid, chlorophyll and total phenolic content, and did not cause drastic changes in pH or colorimetric parameters. The addition of C. acid to the MPV reduced the loss of pigments, phenolic compounds and delayed the rate of respiration of vegetables; however, this treatment did not exert an effective microbiological control, producing unacceptable sensory changes. The samples treated with Bac1109 in AP were the most accepted by consumers, showing the highest scores in each tested attribute. The use of Bac1109 could represent a natural alternative to replace chemical additives as a vegetable biopreservative, leading to a balance between the demand for safe products and their physico-chemical and sensorial conservation.

Urban agriculture and farmers’ willingness to pay for treated wastewater: Insights from vegetable producers in the greater Accra metropolis of Ghana

Urbanisation and water scarcity pose a challenge to urban vegetable production and livelihoods in major cities across the world. At the same time, increasing demand for fresh vegetables coupled with the high profitability of vegetable production enterprises has made it attractive and indispensable as it creates jobs along the entire crop value chain. This study analysed the efficiency performance of urban vegetable producers and their willingness to pay (WTP) for treated wastewater using data collected from 214 farmers. By applying the data envelopment analysis (DEA) and logistic regression models, the results show that the current production system is technically inefficient as 33% more output could have been produced using the existing resources. The mean amount that farmers are willing to pay for treated wastewater to be delivered to their farms is GH¢66.7 per month. Technical efficiency influences farmers’ WTP for treated waste water. Other drivers of WTP for treated wastewater include experience in vegetable production, type of irrigation practised, source of water used for irrigation, the volume of water applied per day, extension access, association membership, market demand for products, and access to market information. Strengthening public–private partnerships in the treatment and utilization of water resources and providing technical training to urban producers could enhance the efficient use of treated wastewater in agriculture.

Leaf Vegetable Cultivation in Cameroon: An Overview of the Situation in Njombe and Surrounding Areas

Over the past ten years, it has been noted that the demand for leafy vegetables in the coastal area of Cameroon is increasing, particularly in the district of Njombe-Penja. Despite this growth in production volumes, there are also more or less severe shortages at certain times of the year. The main causes behind the variations in vegetable production in the Littoral zone are not well known and/or not recorded. In order to sort out the different factors (vegetable varieties, planting period, use of fertilisers and pesticides, soil, etc.) that interact on the production of leafy vegetables in the Littoral zone, it became necessary to conduct a study reviewing the state of leafy vegetable production and marketing activities in the locality of Njombé and its surroundings. This study also aims to better identify the main distribution chains and their vitality related to the markets supplied by vegetable production in the Njombe area. The methodological approach involved random sampling to constitute a population of 100 individuals (farmers, traders, etc.). A survey questionnaire was developed and administered to the target sample. The main results show that 96% of the individuals practising vegetable cropping are uneducated women, aged between 20 and 64 years. The individual areas cultivated are mostly very small to medium (between 64m² and 870 m²). The vast majority of the cultivated land is rented (80%). The most cultivated leafy vegetable varieties are, in order of importance: “Black nightshade” (100%), “African Eggplant” (84%), “green amaranth” (80%), “bush okra” (80%), “Hibiscus” (40%), and “Water leaf” (32%). The seeds used come mainly from local markets (60%). The use of fertilisers and pesticides (doses and application frequencies) is not mastered by the farmers. The major constraints to production are: the difficulty of obtaining good quality seeds (86%), fungal diseases (80%), and attacks by various pests. This study also highlighted the economic potential of this vegetable activity in the locality.

Nutrient Film Technique-Based Hydroponic Monitoring and Controlling System Using ANFIS

Most people are now aware of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, including the importance of consuming vegetables. As a result, the demand for vegetables has increased, and so their production needs to be increased. Currently, most plantations use soil as a growing medium, which is time-consuming and requires a significant amount of space. To modernize cultivation, hydroponic techniques should be adopted. However, implementing hydroponics can be challenging as it requires precise pH and nutrient adjustments. The previous research has proposed the hydroponic pH and nutrient control using the Sugeno fuzzy method. However, in Sugeno fuzzy method, there is no systematic procedure in designing the fuzzy controller, thus, the design relies on hydroponic expert knowledge. To address this issue, a smart hydroponic system was developed using the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) method, which allows for automatic adjustments based on the collected dataset and remote control through internet of things (IoT) technology. This study showed that the system could accurately adjust pH and nutrient levels, allowing plants to grow better. Furthermore, the fuzzy controller created using ANFIS is 67% more accurate than creating the fuzzy controller using the Sugeno fuzzy method. Finally, the web application dashboard of the proposed system is also presented in this paper.

Indonesian Consumers’ Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Certified Vegetables: A Choice-Based Conjoint Approach

With the increasing demand for safe vegetables in Indonesia, the government issued certification labels to protect consumers from bad practices. However, much research has not focused on consumers’ responses toward the certified fresh vegetables in emerging countries. This study identifies consumers’ segments and preferences for fresh produce by using three attributes. The choice-based conjoint through a national online survey (N = 1027) indicates that most consumers prefer certified products. Meanwhile, the latent class analysis indicates the following segments: quality-minded, safety-conscious, appearance-focused, and price-conscious—each with distinct preferences. Quality-minded and safety-conscious consumers prefer certified labels but have different attention to the price. Appearance-focused consumers more consider on leaves’ appearance. Price-conscious consumers choose the lowest price possible regardless of the other attributes. This paper provides practical implications for marketers and policymakers.

Fruit Detection and Three-Stage Maturity Grading Using CNN

Agriculture is a major sector for economic growth and development. The cultivation of fruit crops is a part of agriculture thus helping in the prosperity of our nation. In recent years, there has been a sudden hike in health problems and therefore, it has led to increasing demand for fruits and vegetables. Therefore, the use of innovative technologies is of significant importance for the fruit sector to give ripe and fresh fruits. Currently, Artificial Intelligence is a technology that is transforming every line of work. Particularly, Deep Learning (DL) has diverse applications due to its potential to learn mighty representations from images. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is a noteworthy class of Deep Learning architecture that is built with the capability to bring out distinctive characteristics from image data. The utmost concern of many customers, vendors, and farmers is the quality of fruits and vegetables produced. Differentiating the fruits according to their ripening stages is the most crucialfactor in regulating the quality of fruits. This work used a high-quality dataset with 9997 images comprising 15 fruit classes. Moreover, based on the significant applications that Convolutional Neural Networks have had till now, it proposes an analysis of deep learning algorithms for fruit detection and three-stage maturity grading and achieves 90.24 percent accuracy. The results obtained will help in the development of fast and accurate detection of fruits and their quality