Determinants of Consumer Patronage for Ghana Grown Chicken

Consumer demand and preference for high value food products including chicken has increased dramatically, especially for many emerging economies including Ghana. In this study, data collected from 180 respondents in the Kumasi Metropolis were subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis, to measure the chicken consumption patterns and the key determinants of consuming Ghana-grown chicken. The results revealed that chicken is consumed on a more regular basis, with a high preference for live chicken. The major attributes of Ghana-grown chicken preferred by consumers includes the health, safety, nutritional value, and taste of chicken. The buying decision of chicken consumers was ranked in descending order of preference as safety, nutritional value, and form (live or processed) whiles price and country of origin were the least ranked. Consumers have a generally good perception of and positive attitude towards the patronage of Ghana chicken, as they perceived Ghana chicken to be grown under ethical conditions even though they rated it to be more expensive than the imported. Results of econometric analysis revealed that gender, safety, trust and the price of chicken were the major determinants that influenced consumer preference for Ghana chicken. This study recommends that policy direction towards value-addition through processing, innovative marketing strategies and a strong consumer advocacy that would significantly improve consumption of Ghana-grown chicken.