Consumer Preference for Orange and White-Fleshed Sweet Potato: Results from a Choice Experiment Conducted in Maputo and Gaza Provinces, Mozambique

Abstract

A number of strategies have been proposed to reduce nutritional deficiencies in developing countries. In this study, we investigated the extent to which consumers in Mozambique would be willing to consume new varieties of orange-fleshed sweet potato, which are rich in vitamin A, relative to the traditionally consumed white sweet potato varieties. Results indicate that the aggregate welfare gains from the introduction of orange-flesh sweet potatoes are about 587.8 million annually. Although consumers prefer orange flesh to the white, especially when information on nutritional information is given in urban areas, dry matter content was the most important quality attribute. Thus, for the nutritional benefits of the new varieties to be realized, plant breeding programs should focus on improving the dry matter content of the new varieties.