Attitudes and Preferences of Urban and Rural Households Towards Chicken Meat Consumption: Case Study of Hakkari, Turkey

Abstract

The consumers are more concious regarding the chicken consumption due mainly to risks stemming from the diseases and health concerns. Thus, in recent years important consumption pattern variations are observed. This study examines chicken consumption structure of 95 urban and 95 rural households comparatively in Hakkari, Turkey, which has special socio-cultural structure being bordered by Iran and Iraq. Double logarithmic regression model was used to determine the price and income elasticities of chicken meat demands. Monthly chicken meat consumption per households and per capita were 5.3 kg and 0.9 kg for urban and 4.2 kg and 0.59 kg for rural households, respectively. Cheapness was the most important determining factor in preference of meat types of urban households with 43.6% followed by habit with 34.0%. On the other hand, habit and convenience were the main determinant factors effective on the preference of chicken meat with 40.0% each. Price elasticity of per capita chicken meat demand was - 0.653 and income elasticity of per capita chicken demand was 0.114.