A Comparative Study on Urban and Rural Households Preferences of Fresh Mutton Meat Consumption (A Case Study in Eastern Region of Turkey-Heckman Model)

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to perform a comparative assessment of the urban and rural households' preferences of fresh mutton meat consumption in Hakkari, Turkey. Design/methodology/approach - The sample size consisted of 95 rural and 95 urban households. The data were collected from November 2007 until May 2008 intermittently. Probity and Heckman Models were used in the study. Findings - Price elasticity of mutton meat demand was calculated as -0.242, which reveals the mutton meat is a compulsory good in the research area. Income elasticity of mutton meat was found as 0.39, which shows relatively satisfactory amount of mutton meat is consumed. However, there existed great differences in terms of mutton meat consumption per capita among the income groups. Originality/value - The findings in the study may contribute to the mutton meat producers and marketers in the region when planning their production and marketing strategies.