Marketing of Indigenous Fruits in Southern Africa - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 231

need to know the socio-demographic characteristics influencing consumption
and buying behaviour. For both U. kirkiana and S. cocculoides , purchasing
behaviour was associated with marriage status, education, and the market and
production sites for the respective fruit ( P < 0.05). In addition, purchase
behaviour for S. cocculoides fruits was related to gender ( P < 0.05).
Tables 12.2 and 12.3 show that educated people were more likely to buy
U. kirkiana and S. cocculoides fruits than their counterparts. Possibly most of
the people interviewed were educated. Married people were more likely than
unmarried people to buy U. kirkiana fruits rather than S. cocculoides . These
findings suggest that there might be a family influence in the purchasing
behaviour for indigenous fruits. Further research on this aspect is needed.
While there was more purchasing activity for S. cocculoides fruits in Gokwe,
there was less for U. kirkiana fruits in Murehwa and more at the Harare site. Low
purchasing activity at Murehwa might be due to easy access to fruits from the
nearby communal forests, farmers' fields and along the road. The inhabitants of
Harare include quite a number of individuals who come from the miombo
ecosystem, who are used to consuming these fruits. In addition, Harare hosts
Mbare market, the central market for all types of indigenous fruits, and hence
there is a high probability of finding buyers for U. kirkiana fruits in this market.
Gokwe town also had more purchase activities for S. cocculoides fruits
(Table 12.3). This might be because there are few S. cocculoides fruit trees in

Table 12.2. Socio-demographic characteristics of buyers of Uapaca kirkiana
indigenous fruits ( n = 255).

95% confidence interval

Variable Adjusted odds ratio* Lower limit Upper limit

Married 1.646 1.117 2.426

Educated 1.153 1.079 1.231

Harare 2.609 1.621 4.200

Murehwa 0.382 0.202 0.725

*Adjusted for variables in the model.
Source: Ramadhani (2002).

Table 12.3. Characteristics of buyers of Strychnos cocculoides fruits ( n = 91).

95% confidence interval

Variable Adjusted odds ratio* Lower limit Upper limit

Married 1.726 1.064 2.800

Male 1.712 1.016 2.885

Educated 1.095 1.014 1.183

Gokwe 21.484 4.870 94.770

Harare 12.734 3.019 53.717

*Adjusted for variables in the model.
Source: Ramadhani (2002, p. 121).