Abstract:
The vegetable and fruit production plays a major role in domestic food production in
Sri Lankan agricultural sector. In the process of developing the fruit and vegetable
sector, it is very useful to consider the needs, preferences and behaviour of
consumers. The main objective of this study is to find the behavioral patterns of fruit
and vegetable consumers in the “Pola” (fair) system and reasons for such behaviour.
This research study was carried out by using a combination of cross sectional survey
and case studies due to explanatory nature of the study. A total of 100 consumers
were interviewed and four case studies were carried out in Monaragala District. Five
fairs were selected from five of 10 Divisional Secretariat Divisions. To statistically
analyze the data, frequency distributions and chi-squire tests were used. The majority
(77%) of the consumers of the Pola in the Monaragala District were regular
purchasers. The main reason for their preference was low price (40%) and freshness
(34%). The consumer’s main vegetable purchasing market was the Pola (97.9%) and
the next was the village retailer (65.5%). The consumers’ main consideration in
buying vegetables and fruits is price (56.8%). Their next considerations are
appearance (52%), freshness 40%, and nutritive value (42.4%) respectively.
Consumers were interested in both price and quality (appearance, freshness and
nutritive value) when they purchase vegetables and fruits at the Pola.
