Consumption Patterns for Selected Fruits in La Union, Philippines

With the economic, ethical, and environmental consequences of human consumption patterns, understanding its dynamics is essential in setting suitable development direction for industries and formulating environmental policies. Focusing on fruits, the study was designed to determine the consumption and marketing practices and factors affecting consumption, as well as analyze the demand and supply situation, of selected fruints in La Union, Philippines. The data, drawn from 150 consumers and 150 sellers who were randomly selected using the stratified proportionate random sampling, were statistically analyzed using central tendencies, correlation, and regression analysis. Results revealed that consumers preferred fruits that are fresh; classified according to size, color, or variety; and without chemical treatment, even at a high price. Among the major fruits produced in La Union (banana, mango, watermelon, and guapple), banana is most preferred by consumers and guapple the least preferred, while mango was perceived as the most nutritious. The average per capita consumption of these fruits in La Union at 7.69 kg is higher than the national average (6.90 kg). The factors that had significant influence on consumption included the socio-economic characteristics of consumers such as age, income, and education and the characteristics of the product such as taste and price. Based on market supply and demand analysis, there was a huge market shortage of these fruits, except for mango, throughout 2015. This suggests that domestic production can be intensified through the adoption of organic farming practices; grading and standardization according to size, variety, color, and freshness of products; the development of other value-added product forms for the industrial market; and the provision of support systems in the form of trainings, marketing, and financial assistance for farmers