Are WTP Estimates for Fruit Quality Similar between Growers and Consumers? Results of a Choice Experiment on Four Rosaceous Fruit Crops

WTP research is typically applied to consumer groups. Scant applied economics research has been done to elicit producers’ preferences and values for fruit quality, despite the important role producers play in the supply chain, as they take the financial risk to invest in a promising cultivar, making it accessible to the consumer in the marketplace through a sometimes complex supply chain. Our results show evidence that fresh market fruit producers are generally aligned with consumer preferences, as flavor and textural components were consistently given the highest WTP value among other fruit quality characteristics. However, market intermediaries (e.g., shippers, packers, marketers) do not exhibit the same preferences across all crops. The specific economic valuation placed by growers, market intermediaries, and consumers on individual attributes can now provide breeding programs more specific information to evaluate the fruit quality trait, and the targeted levels for that trait, within their programs.