Boosting domestic rice production in Ghana: Analysis of consumer opinions, purchasing behavior and determinants among different income strata

Abstract

Despite the fact that domestic rice production contributes significantly to the livelihood of millions of people in Ghana, it has been observed that consumers show a strong preference for expensive and imported rice over locally produced rice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception, purchasing behaviour and determinants of local rice consumption across three income households in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. A total of 414 rice consumers were selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential techniques, including perception analysis and ordered probit model, were used to analyse the data. The overall perception index of 3.61 denotes that consumers generally have a positive perception of local rice regarding health benefits (index = 4.44), affordability (index = 3.86), and cooking attributes (index = 3.48), despite its poor appearance (index = 2.80). The ordered probit model depicted heterogeneity of covariates as determinants of local rice consumption-based income strata of the household. For instance, various factors, including gender, age, occupation, and attributes of local rice such as affordability, nutrition, cooking attributes, and appearance, have a notable impact on the consumption of local rice among low-income households. In contrast, education, household decision-making, the place of purchasing local rice, and three perception attributes, namely affordability, nutrition, and cooking attributes, were found to be significant determinants of local rice consumption among middle-income households. According to the data, local rice consumption among high-income families was significantly predicted by gender, occupation, household size, and two perception attributes—affordability and nutrition. The study has practical implications for improving the competitiveness of local rice to increase its acceptance and consumption among consumers in the country.