Preference certainty and consistency in discrete choice experiments: a case analysis of sweet potato farming in Western Kenya

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate farmers’ preference certainty and consistency in their choice decisions for sweet potato varietal traits in Kenya. This was achieved through the discrete choice experiment (DCE) approach where farmers’ preference certainty and consistency was analyzed for six select varietal traits that include: yield level, tolerance to pests and diseases, sweetness of the flesh, colour of the flesh, maturity period and price change. Study results from primary data collection of 400 randomly selected farmers from Western Kenya show that farmers were considerably certain about their preferences with an average certainty score of 7.0 on a scale of 0-10. They were also consistent in their choice behavior since they chose the same option in the second occasion as they did in the first occasion in 65.9% of the cases. The implication is that sweet potatoes famers in the study area were well aware of their preferences for different varietal traits and that breeding programs in the country could well work with the farmers in advancing sweet potato varieties with better traits for improved livelihoods.