Determinants of the Consumption of Dairy Products in Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina: Social Factors and Price Influence

Abstract

Faced with the competition of imported products, the characteristics and main determinants of the consumption of milk and dairy products were examined in Bobo-Dioulasso, the second consumption pole in Burkina Faso. The study included 250 consumers selected according to the quota method. The consumption of dairy products depended on socio-cultural as well as on economic factors. It was firstly influenced by the age, but also by the consumers’ marital status and ethnic origin. People originating from ethnic groups in the north of the country consumed more milk than those originating from ethnic groups in the south. Consumers’ purchases were influenced by the product hygiene (27%), price (23%), taste (18%), availability (11%), packaging (10%), easiness of use (7%) and easiness of conservation (6%). The analysis of the price influence revealed a range of “acceptable” prices between 360 and 480 FCFA per liter of pasteurized milk, and 500 and 800 FCFA per kilogram of yoghurt, which indicated a good level of competitiveness within the local dairy industry. Yoghurt and pasteurized milk production seemed particularly dynamic.