Consumer perceptions and values on beef quality: implications on beef markets
- Authors: Mabhera, Sunungukai.
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Beef -- Quality -- Health aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Livestock -- Handling -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Beef cattle -- Breeding -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Beef -- Quality -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: vital:11224 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1020173 , Beef -- Quality -- Health aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Livestock -- Handling -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Beef cattle -- Breeding -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Beef -- Quality -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Beef constitutes an important part of many consumers’ diets. Beef is the most consumed red meat in South Africa. Consumer perceptions can affect the whole supply or value chain of beef. Recently there has been increased interest in food safety; greater concern for environmental and animal welfare issues, increased importance of eating quality and healthy food as well as the greater role of food services. The demand for beef is no longer limited to economic factors alone but to non-economic factors as well. Consumers of beef in Alice have become more concerned about meat-borne risks and personal health. This research prioritized the exploration of the beef consumers’ (i) self-perception (ii) price perception (iii) benefit perception [in the form of – (a) value perception and (b) quality perception]. The study was conducted in the Eastern Cape Province specifically in Alice town and the surrounding rural areas (Ntselamanzi, Gaga, Hillcrest, Gqumashe, and Dyamala) of the Nkonkobe municipality. Anyone who admitted to eating beef and at the point of data collection bought beef for their own consumption or family consumption was deemed as a unit of analysis. Non – probabilistic sampling techniques which included accidental and random sampling were used to collect data from 100 interviewees. A semi structured questionnaire was used to analyse the perceptions and attitudes of beef consumers. The respondents were asked to indicate their agreement or disagreement with 47 statements or items presented on either five alternatives in a Likert scale scored from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) or a six Likert scale ranging from 1 (very low) through 5 (very high) to 6 (I do not know).The data was analysed using SPSS. It was discovered that beef consumers did not consider either intrinsic or extrinsic cues in isolation when purchasing beef but rather all characteristics contribute to the final perception. The Alice consumer market is heterogeneous and consists of different races with different cultures and market segments with varying needs and preferences. The results showed that five factors were extracted from forty seven items Factor 1: Information reliance and quality indication; Factor 2: convenience; Factor 3: Traceability and animal Welfare; Factor 4: Health and safety Conscious and Factor 5: Price and Branding. Furthermore, four main consumer segments emerged as - Segment 1: Informed buyers; Segment 2: Elite buyers; Segment 3: Health & safety conscious buyers and Segment 4: Apathetic buyers. The cluster analysis shows that quality is a subjective concept that is informed by a consumer’s personal taste and preferences. Taste and preferences inform the consumer’s effective demand which in retrospect is informed by the consumer’s socioeconomic status.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Mabhera, Sunungukai.
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Beef -- Quality -- Health aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Livestock -- Handling -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Beef cattle -- Breeding -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Beef -- Quality -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: vital:11224 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1020173 , Beef -- Quality -- Health aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Livestock -- Handling -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Beef cattle -- Breeding -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Beef -- Quality -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Beef constitutes an important part of many consumers’ diets. Beef is the most consumed red meat in South Africa. Consumer perceptions can affect the whole supply or value chain of beef. Recently there has been increased interest in food safety; greater concern for environmental and animal welfare issues, increased importance of eating quality and healthy food as well as the greater role of food services. The demand for beef is no longer limited to economic factors alone but to non-economic factors as well. Consumers of beef in Alice have become more concerned about meat-borne risks and personal health. This research prioritized the exploration of the beef consumers’ (i) self-perception (ii) price perception (iii) benefit perception [in the form of – (a) value perception and (b) quality perception]. The study was conducted in the Eastern Cape Province specifically in Alice town and the surrounding rural areas (Ntselamanzi, Gaga, Hillcrest, Gqumashe, and Dyamala) of the Nkonkobe municipality. Anyone who admitted to eating beef and at the point of data collection bought beef for their own consumption or family consumption was deemed as a unit of analysis. Non – probabilistic sampling techniques which included accidental and random sampling were used to collect data from 100 interviewees. A semi structured questionnaire was used to analyse the perceptions and attitudes of beef consumers. The respondents were asked to indicate their agreement or disagreement with 47 statements or items presented on either five alternatives in a Likert scale scored from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) or a six Likert scale ranging from 1 (very low) through 5 (very high) to 6 (I do not know).The data was analysed using SPSS. It was discovered that beef consumers did not consider either intrinsic or extrinsic cues in isolation when purchasing beef but rather all characteristics contribute to the final perception. The Alice consumer market is heterogeneous and consists of different races with different cultures and market segments with varying needs and preferences. The results showed that five factors were extracted from forty seven items Factor 1: Information reliance and quality indication; Factor 2: convenience; Factor 3: Traceability and animal Welfare; Factor 4: Health and safety Conscious and Factor 5: Price and Branding. Furthermore, four main consumer segments emerged as - Segment 1: Informed buyers; Segment 2: Elite buyers; Segment 3: Health & safety conscious buyers and Segment 4: Apathetic buyers. The cluster analysis shows that quality is a subjective concept that is informed by a consumer’s personal taste and preferences. Taste and preferences inform the consumer’s effective demand which in retrospect is informed by the consumer’s socioeconomic status.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Effect of agricultural extension services on beneficiaries of the Nguni cattle project: the case of Ncera and Kwezana villages, Eastern Cape Province
- Authors: Gwala, Lindokuhle
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Agricultural assistance -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural extension work -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agriculture, Cooperative -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Farmers -- Education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: vital:11219 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1019814 , Agricultural assistance -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural extension work -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agriculture, Cooperative -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Farmers -- Education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The study was conducted to determine the effect of agricultural extension services on beneficiaries of the Nguni Cattle project in Ncera and Kwezana villages, both in Nkonkobe local Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province. The objectives of this study were to determine the quality of extension services offered to the beneficiaries of the Nguni cattle project, relationship between extension officers and beneficiaries of the project, lastly was to determine communication strategies used by extension officers to communicate with the project beneficiaries. A total of 73 Nguni cattle project beneficiaries were interviewed. Semi- structured questionnaires were administered to the beneficiaries of the project who were willing to participate in the study. Xhosa speaking enumerators assisted in data collection. Focus group discussions were later carried out in both villages to determine effect of agricultural extension services on socio-economic status of the beneficiaries. The focus groups were divided into three groups of different ages and gender. The majority of the beneficiaries in the project were males (62.2 % Ncera and 75% Kwezana). There was an association between gender and extension services. Farmers depended on different sources of income. Old age pension and animal sales being the main contributing sources and also having a significant difference. The results of the study further revealed that the beneficiaries were faced with cattle production challenges, lack of extension support services being the main challenge. The results of the study indicated that the majority of beneficiaries had no access to extension services. Only 37.8% and 32.1 % at Ncera and Kwezana respectively reported that they had access to extension services. Although the latter is the case it was further explained by the beneficiaries that extension services offered to them were of poor quality due to poor communication strategies used to provide these services. Beneficiaries also reported the relationship between them and extension officers’ as poor. It was concluded that extension services had an effect on beneficiaries of the Nguni cattle project, largely based on the constraints they face on the project and limited access to extension services.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Gwala, Lindokuhle
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Agricultural assistance -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural extension work -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agriculture, Cooperative -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Farmers -- Education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: vital:11219 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1019814 , Agricultural assistance -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural extension work -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agriculture, Cooperative -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Farmers -- Education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The study was conducted to determine the effect of agricultural extension services on beneficiaries of the Nguni Cattle project in Ncera and Kwezana villages, both in Nkonkobe local Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province. The objectives of this study were to determine the quality of extension services offered to the beneficiaries of the Nguni cattle project, relationship between extension officers and beneficiaries of the project, lastly was to determine communication strategies used by extension officers to communicate with the project beneficiaries. A total of 73 Nguni cattle project beneficiaries were interviewed. Semi- structured questionnaires were administered to the beneficiaries of the project who were willing to participate in the study. Xhosa speaking enumerators assisted in data collection. Focus group discussions were later carried out in both villages to determine effect of agricultural extension services on socio-economic status of the beneficiaries. The focus groups were divided into three groups of different ages and gender. The majority of the beneficiaries in the project were males (62.2 % Ncera and 75% Kwezana). There was an association between gender and extension services. Farmers depended on different sources of income. Old age pension and animal sales being the main contributing sources and also having a significant difference. The results of the study further revealed that the beneficiaries were faced with cattle production challenges, lack of extension support services being the main challenge. The results of the study indicated that the majority of beneficiaries had no access to extension services. Only 37.8% and 32.1 % at Ncera and Kwezana respectively reported that they had access to extension services. Although the latter is the case it was further explained by the beneficiaries that extension services offered to them were of poor quality due to poor communication strategies used to provide these services. Beneficiaries also reported the relationship between them and extension officers’ as poor. It was concluded that extension services had an effect on beneficiaries of the Nguni cattle project, largely based on the constraints they face on the project and limited access to extension services.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
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