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Quality Perceptions and Willingness-to-Pay for Imported Rice in Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2015

Hikaru Hanawa Peterson
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
Kentaro Yoshida
Affiliation:
Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

Abstract

Attitudes of Japanese consumers toward domestic and foreign varieties of rice were analyzed on the basis of a survey. We found that the current retail prices for imported rice are higher than the average consumers' willingness-to-pay (WTP), whereas most domestic rice was priced below the average WTP. Unfamiliarity or negative perceptions of the safety and flavor of foreign rice lowered WTP substantially. The WTP for U.S. rice was limited more by negative perceptions of flavor than from concerns about food safety.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 2004

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