Rice preference in rural Madagascar: A study of producer and consumer preferences

Abstract

AbstractRice is the pillar of the Malagasy diet. This paper provides empirical insights into which rice attributes are preferred in rural Madagascar, taking both producers’ and consumers’ perspectives into account. We conducted an original, interview-based household survey for 596 randomly selected rice-producing households in Vakinankaratra region of Madagascar. As producers, the dominant preference was for high productivity, followed by early maturity, and drought resistance. As consumers, qualities such as cleanliness and purity were important, and sweetness was expressly preferred. We found that consumers’ preferences were diverse, so we employed hierarchical cluster analysis and two-step multiple comparisons for further understanding. Cluster analysis categorized households into four groups, characterized by the respondents’ nature of preferences as consumers: (I) quality, (II) cooking, (III) appearance and texture, and (IV) flavor. Though the increase in productivity remains important, understanding consumer preference is also critical because it is transmitted through markets and affects producers. In addition, we found several unique characteristics of the Malagasy people, such as they tend to prefer local, non-scented rice while many African people prefer imported rice with aroma. Rice preference varies among countries, and this study’s comprehensive findings on Malagasy rice preferences contribute to the development of targeted rice-breeding and marketing strategies in Madagascar.

Keywords

• Madagascar
• rice
• attributes
• consumer preference
• cluster analysis
• producer preference