Analyzing consumer preferences for quality characteristics of sorghum grain: a study in Teso Sub-region of Uganda

A study was done to determine sorghum grain attributes that consumers prefer. This was after the realisation that consumption and marketability of sorghum was low compared to other cereals.The low consumption/marketability is attributed to undesirable consumer attributes in the current varieties. Breeders efforts have mostly been on production attributes like yield, resistance to weeds, pests and diseases and quick maturity. No efforts have been directed towards consumer attributes. Subsquently, this study was done to identify the desirable attributes that consumers of sorghum prefer and also to estimate how much consumers would be willing to pay for the attributes. This would help in the breeding program, and hence increase consumption and marketability of sorghum. A choice experiment research methodology was used to collect data on consumer preferences. A Bayesian effecient design was used to generate 24 choice scenarios which were presented to consumers for evaluation. The 24 scenarios were randomly blocked into six and a consumer was presented with one of the blocks (each block with four choice scenarios). Each scenario had two hypothetical varieties and a baseline variety. A consumer was expected to evaluate the four choice scenarios and make a choice. The choice data was analysed using a Mixed Logit model with the aid of Limdep/Nlogit software.