| dc.description.abstract | Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical fruit with exceptional juiciness, vibrant tropical flavors
and immense health benefits. Most countries produce the fruit primarily for fresh fruit markets and
the processing industry where it can be utilized for making pineapple juice. Due to the short shelf
life of the fruit, most traders have resorted to making of pineapple juice. This study therefore
sought to assess consumer demand and preferences of pineapple juice, a case of markets in
Kampala city. The study specifically characterized pineapple juice preference and consumption
and also assessed the determinants for demand for pineapple juice. The study was a survey and it
adopted a cross-sectional study design with quantitative and qualitative data collection and
analysis methods. The study was conducted in 2 purposively selected markets in Kampala city.
The target populations were pineapple juice traders and pineapple juice consumers in the selected
market centers. The researcher randomly selected 40 pineapple juice traders. From each of the
traders selected, 3 consumers were then generated randomly making a total of 120 pineapple juice
consumers. Data was collected with the aid of questionnaires that comprised of both open and
closed ended questions. The information collected was coded and analyzed using statistical
package for social scientists. Descriptive statistics were used for objective one while for the second
objective, regression analysis was carried out. The study found out that most of the pineapple juice
consumers in Kalerwe (73.3%) and Nakawa (71.7%) markets were females. A similar trend was
observed among traders were the majority in Nakawa (65%) and Kalerwe (70%) were they were
females. Atleast half of the consumers (50% and 50% respectively) did consume pineapple juice
on a daily. In Kalerwe market, 31.7% of the consumers consumed between 0-3 litres monthly
while in Nakawa, the majority (31.7%) consumed atleast between 4-6 litres per month. The study
further realized that most consumers in Kalerwe (51.7%) would consume pineapple juice during
lunchtime while those within Nakawa markets (51.7%) had no specific time of consumption of
pineapple juice. The results also showed that in both markets (Kalerwe and Nakawa), demand for
pineapple juice is positively influenced by the lifestyle (Beta = .000), health (Beta = .038), habit
(Beta = .034) and also thirst (Beta = .100). Basing on the findings of the study, it was herein
recommended that further studies along the same field be embarked on but with a widened
geographical coverage and sample size for a more valid generalized conclusion to be drawn. | en_US |
