Comparative Analysis Of Acceptability Of Camel Milk Among Rural And Urban Consumers In Kenya

Abstract

The demand for information on consumer food consumption and satisfaction by the public and private sector is increasing. The information on perceptions and attitudes of rural and urban consumers’ on acceptability of camel milk is increasingly necessary for the popularization and development of camel milk marketing strategies. This study investigated the consumer perceptions and attitudes towards acceptability of camel milk in Isiolo and Nairobi counties. A questionnaire was administered to both rural (Isiolo county) and urban Nairobi County) consumers using multistage sampling approach and data analyzed using the Likert scale scoring technique. The results show that 66% of the urban consumers were dissatisfied with the packaging compared to 19.1% of the rural consumers. In case of pricing, 53.3% of the urban consumers were dissatisfied camel milk price compared to 6.4% of the rural based consumers. With respect to perceptions on the nutritive value of the milk, 73.1% and 91.5% of the consumers in Nairobi and Isiolo County, respectively strongly agree that the camel milk is highly nutritious. Eighty three percent (83%) and 94.9% of consumers in Isiolo and Nairobi County, respectively, believed that camel milk has therapeutic properties. Both the urban and the rural consumers believed that camel milk can be able to treat stomach upsets, blood pressure, diabetes and stomach ulcers. In both areas over 97% of the consumers were highly satisfied with the taste of the milk. The implications of these findings are that to enhance the consumption of camel milk in urban areas, there is need to improve the packaging material and the pricing should be adjusted to match with that of cow milk.