International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
V Jagadeeswary, GS Naveen Kumar, K Hemanth Gowda, H Devaraja Naika and Dr. Nallapati Sai Anjana

abstract
A study was carried out in Hassan, a southern district of Karnataka to study the preferences, consumption and retailer patterns of pork as the availability and consumption of pork in this area is high. Data from the respondents of different pork retail shops and the pork consumers were collected in the study area through pretested interview schedule. The social-economic profile along with behaviour pattern of consumers in terms of meat preference, taste, digestibility and cost were studied. The consumer behaviour pattern of pork depicted as preferential, tastier, digestible easily and costlier by (40%, 45%, 12%, 23%) of respondents respectively. A large majority of the respondents preferred pork followed by chicken and the order of reasons for pork preference by the respondents was its taste and the cost. In addition, the trend of pork consumption pattern revealed the other major factors influencing high consumption of pork i.e., during weekends (100%) and preferably from home (62%). The consumers preferred pork in the form of fry (41%) and of the indigenous breed variety (82%). In reference to retailers, 46.8 per cent purchased animals both on daily basis or weekly basis but not in bulk amounts because of lower infrastructure facilities. The economics of retailers were calculated among the pork retailers and found to be profitable. The major constraints expressed in this study influencing the retailers were non availability of indigenous pigs locally, shortage of kitchen / hotel food waste and sale of temple sacrificed pork at cheaper price.