Assessing Rwandan restaurant preferences for procuring broiler and indigenous chicken: implications for the development of a sustainable poultry industry

Abstract Public and private efforts have attempted to increase Rwandan smallholder broiler commercial production to help alleviate poverty and food insecurity. While these interventions have created economic opportunities for producers, many Rwandan consumers still prefer indigenous chicken over commercial broiler chicken. We examined restaurant preferences for purchasing Rwandan-produced broiler meat versus indigenous chicken meat by conducting face-to-face interviews in February 2022 with 100 restaurants in Kigali. Across specified price levels, 73% of restaurants were interested in purchasing broiler chicken meat compared to chicken meat from indigenous breeds. Probit regression results showed that female procurers were more likely to prefer broilers. If respondents considered supplier availability and reliability to be important, they were more likely to purchase broilers. If restaurants were more willing to take risks, preferred to purchase live birds, and considered healthiness and consistency to be important, they were less likely to purchase broilers. The relative price of the broiler compared to the indigenous chicken was not a significant determinant of a restaurant’s decision to purchase broilers. This study provides insights into the factors that influence restaurant preferences for broilers and, hence, the likelihood of success for the domestic commercial poultry industry and smallholder Rwandan broiler farmers.