Abstract:
The coconut industry plays a rnajor role in Sri Lanka's economy, with value added
coconut-based food products gaining prominence in domestic and international
markets. This study investigates consumer preferences and willingness to buy value
added coconut-based food products in the Gampaha District of Sri Lanka. The
research aims to identify key factors influencing consumer behavior, including
demographic characteristics, product attributes, and marketing strategies. A
quantitative approach was employed, utilizing a pre-tested structured questionnaire
distributed to 100 consumers across five divisional secretariat divisions in Gampaha.
Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27.0, with multiple regression analysis to
examine the relationships between variables.
The findings reveal that coconut milk powder is the most preferred product (33o/o),
followed by coconut-based sweets (22%) and coconut oil (21%). Quality emerged as
the rnost influential factor in purchasing decisions (28Yo), while supennarkets were
the preferred rnarketplace (56oh). Regression analysis indicated a strong positive
relationship between the variables (R: 0.672), with product attributes (B : 0.289. p:
0.01i) and marketing attributes (B : 0.405, p : 0.000) significantly positively
influence willingness to buy. The model explained 45.2% of the variance the
consumer willingness to buy (Rt : 0.452). Conversely, awareness of value added
coconut products showed a negative relationship (B : -0.238, p : 0.007), suggesting
potential gaps in consurner education or product perception.
The study highlights the importance of targeted marketing strategies and product
quality improvements to enhance consumer acceptance and market penetration of
value added coconut products. These insights provide valuable guidance for
producers, marketers, and policynakers in the coconut industry to align their
offerings with consumer preferences and drive sustainable growth in the sector
