Modelling the factors effecting purchasing of organic condiments by rural consumers: evidence from the experiment of organically produced Chili

Abstract

This article investigated the best fitting model for studying the rural consumer preference towards buying organically produced condiments as well as examine the role of product, personal perception related, economic and socio-demographic factors in predicting attitude and purchase intention of rural consumer. A conceptual model was developed and evaluated by modeling structural equations on a sample of 324. The results showed that the full specified model (model 3) was the best fitting model among selected models. Further, the attitude of the rural consumer was explained by product, personal related and economic factors as well as level of education, household income. Attitude partially mediated the effect of product characteristics, personal perception and own price of the organic condiments. Attitude assumes a more central role in fully mediating the effect of product characteristic and own price on intention to purchase organic condiments. Study implies that the organic condiments industry can promote the product to rural consumers that the organically produced condiments are tastier, more nutritious, healthy and safer to consume.