Consumption pattern and demand projections for fresh fruit in India.
Sikka B. K., Azad K. C.
Author Affiliation: Agro-Economic Research Centre, Himachal Pradesh University, Summer Hill, Shimla, India.
: 231-236
Abstract : The demand for fresh fruit in India, particularly in urban areas, has been increasing at a high rate. In view of this, the paper deals with the consumption pattern of fresh fruit such as apples, mango, banana, sapota, citrus and guava, along with demand projections for the urban population. The sample was drawn from Delhi, the biggest fruit market in Asia, and is cosmopolitan in nature with a wide spectrum of consumers. Data were collected through personal interviews with 210 selected households in 1986. The double-log function was used for estimating elasticities. The demand projections are based upon the coefficient of income elasticities, likely changes in per capita income and expected increase in the population over the projected period i.e., 1990/91. Annual per capita fruit consumption was about 30 kg in 1986. Bananas accounted for about one third of this, followed by apples, mangoes and citrus fruits. On the whole, consumers spent relatively more on apples. Income elasticities for the individual fruits ranged between 0.11 to 1.31, the highest being for mango, followed by apple and banana, and the lowest for sapota. Analysis of demand projections revealed that during 1990/91 the per capita demand for fruits would be about 36 kg per annum and at the aggregate level it would be around 7 Mt for the urban population.