An analysis of consumption patterns of major food items in Morogoro district
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Date
1984
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
Response studies relating changes in food consumption patterns
to relative changes in income and prices, and as influenced by
sociodemographic factors are lacking in Tanzania.
Food demand
projections and the evaluation of the impact of alternative food
policies on consumers and producers1 welfare, and the cost for
complementing them require parameter estimates based on food demand
studies.
The study examines food consumption patterns of major food
items, in Morogoro district for the year 1983.
The influence of
income, sociodemographic factors and government policies on food
consumption patterns are considered.
Budget shares, income
elasticities, and marginal propensities to consume by income groups
are determined.
In addition to the analyses based on individual food
items, an investigation based on aggregated classes is also conducted
the aggregation being based on the nutritional value of the food items.
The nutritional classes considered are (i) Energy
(maize, rice, sorghum,
wheat flour, cassava, bananas and sugar), (ii) Proteins (Milk, meat,
beans and fish), (iii) Vegetables and (iv) Fats.
The data was gathered from both primary sources (through a
questionnaire administered to a sample of 120 households randomly
selected from both the urban and rural areas), and secondary sources
(Government reports, Population Census).
regression and tabula analyses.
The data was analyzed by
The model used in the regression
analysis evolved from the static theory of consumer behaviour.
For per capita expenditure, on food income and education level, nature of
employment and residential area are the factors considered.
Four
functional forms (i.e. linear, quadratic, semilog and double log)
were identified for the analysis.
The linear form was selected for
subsequent analysis as most of its coefficients conformed to a priori
expectation, it had the highest R , and relatively lower standard
errors than the other functional forms.
The study has established that lower income households have
higher budget shares on food than the higher income households (84
per cent and 50 per cent respectively), whereas
rural households
and farmers have higher budget shares than urban households and non
farmers (79 and 89 percent respectively, and 55 and 54 per cent
respectively).
This is because of lower incomes of the rural and
farming households compared to the urban and non farming households.
The lower income group spend a higher budget share on energy items
(58 per cent), whereas the higher income groups spend a higher budget
share on proteins (23 per cent).
Households with 0-3 years of
education spend 75 per cent of their incomes on food with 52 per
cent being spent on energy items, whereas those with 15 - 25 years
of education spend only 44 per cent on food and 20 per cent on
protein.
The study also shows that the total mean expenditure on
food increases with an increase
in the household size.
Mean
expenditure on food, increases with an increase in the age of head
of household up to the age of 45 years and then declines thereafter.
Qualitative analysis shows that the urban households prefer
maize, rice, wheat flour, cassava and bananas,while the rural houseĀ
holds prefer maize, rice, sorghum and cassava.
Falling real
income and cronic food shortages have resulted in below the required
calorie and protein intake for all income strata, and has increased
expenditure on cassava and bananas by the urban residents.
Engel curve results indicate that per capita income was the
only factor affecting per capita, total food expenditure significantly,
it affected two food catagories (energy and protein) and three selected
individual food items (maize, rice and meat) significantly.
The level of education of the head of household affected significantly
the vegetables category only, whereas area of residence was found to
affect significantly the protein category (mainly meat) and sorghum.
The nature of employment factor had no significant effect on the
consumption expenditure of any of the food classes considered.
Marginal propensities to consume (MPCs) and income elasticities
decline with an increase in income level.
The MPCs for the most
preferred food items (maize, rice and meat) are higher than for the
less preferred food items (sorghum, banana, and beans) Those MPCs
for protein and energy food categories are higher than those for fats
and vegetables.
Income elasticities for maize, rice, meat and beans are
generally higher than for sorghum
and bananas, and those for energy
and protein categories are higher than for vegetables and fats.
This indicates that a one per cent increase in income will increase
the expenditure on the more preferred food items by a higher
percentage than the increase in the less preferred items.
Maize.,
rice, meat and beans are luxury commodities for 20 per cent of the
sampled households while meat is a luxury commodity for 80 per cent
of the sampled households.
Description
Masters Dissertation
Keywords
Food items, Morogoro district