Promotion of local agri-food products through market knowledge: Consumption patterns and expectations of urban households towards local tomato purée in southern Benin

Abstract

Urban growth in sub-Saharan Africa is an opportunity for local agri-food businesses. However, local agri-food, including tomato purée in southern Benin, are struggling to emerge in urban markets. The main objective of this study was to identify avenues for increased market penetration for local tomato purée. A survey was conducted from September to October 2017 among 405 households randomly selected. Data were collected based on structured interviews. The questionnaire focused on consumers’ knowledge on the product, their motivations and consumption patterns, and their expectations. As empirical finding, 23.95% of the consumers had no knowledge on the commercial production of tomato purée in Benin, while 5.93% of households were buying the product. Tomato purée is available in supermarkets and specialized outlets, which limits the proximity and visibility to most households. Consumer expectations towards local tomato purée includes the attributes of consistency, competitive price, expiry date on the label, bright red colour, non-acidic taste, and product traceability/ certification. Capacity strengthening is needed for processing enterprises to upgrade product quality by incorporating the technical quality attributes sought by consumers. Moreover, an effective marketing action from value chain agents is required for increased consumers’ knowledge and consumption of local tomato purée.