GBS researcher leads government study to identify consumer attitudes towards new mango varieties

The National Mango Breeding Program is a collaborative research agenda commenced in the early 1990s between CSIRO, and the governments of Western Australian, Northern Territory and Queensland. This month a study initiated by the Western Australian government and led by Associate Professor Robin Roberts from the Griffith Business School and Associate Professor Alec Zuo from the Global Food and Resource Centre of the University of Adelaide evaluated consumer attitudes towards three new mango varieties.

Agribusiness studies focusing on the development of new varieties of fruits usually prioritise productivity, disease resistance and response to flowering. However, this research focused on the important demand element relating to the acceptance of a new fruit variety. In the long development process considerations have been given to product appearance, including fruit size and colour, and flavour characteristics. This research evaluated consumer preferences, product attributes and sensory characteristics for three new mango varieties that contributes to understanding consumer liking/disliking for the fruit. More specifically, the objective of the study was to guide growers regarding the attributes and characteristics that play a role in a consumers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) for mangoes.

Three mango varieties were evaluated by 152 consumers using a novel research approach with an auction format for the acceptance of appearance, taste and WTP. The final outcomes of the study will be presented to the Western Australian government in late March 2020.

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