Determinants of consumer preference for imported and local rice among households in Sokoto metropolis

The study was designed to assess the determinants of consumer preference of local and imported rice among households in Sokoto metropolis, Nigeria. Two-stage sampling technique was employed, where in the first stage, Sokoto-North, Sokoto-South and some parts of Wamakko Local Government Areas (LGAs) were purposively selected. In the second stage, systematic sampling was employed and 27 households from each area were selected, making a total of 81 respondents selected for the study. Data were collected using structured questionnaire while descriptive statistics and regression were employed to analyze the data. The households’ characteristics revealed that 22.5% of the respondents were 70-79 years old. The mean household size was about 16 persons, 82% were married, 58.9% were civil servants and high-income earners and 63.3% of the respondents attained tertiary education. The preference of locally processed rice (52%) as against imported rice was because it has lower price and better taste while, some consumers prefer the imported rice because of its cleanliness and free from stones and other impurities that are commonly found in locally processed rice. Household size and household income had a positive and significant relationship with consumer preference for local rice. It is recommended that Government should provide new technologies and/or facilities for local rice production and processing to enhance the rice quality. This will enable the locally processed rice to compete with imported rice in the domestic and international markets.