67 International Peer Reviewed Journal Marketability of Mango-based Products: Input to Product Development of Locally Farm Produced Mangoes in Central Luzon, Philippines LESLIE R. JORGE https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7993-787X jorgeleslie1@gmail.com Bataan Peninsula State University Capitol Compound, City of Balanga, Bataan HERMOGENES M. PAGUIA https://orcid.org/000-003-3758-9317 hmpaguia@gmail.com Bataan Peninsula State University Capitol Compound, City of Balanga, Bataan IMELDA C. REALCE https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2213-032X irealce2019@gmail.com Bataan Peninsula State University Capitol Compound, City of Balanga, Bataan Originality: 100% • Grammar Check: 100% • Plagiarism: 0% ABSTRACT Mangifera Indica, commonly known as mango, is a high-value crop with yield gaps brought by its seasonal production. The study was conducted to determine the marketability of mango-based products as one of the most Vol. 40 · March 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7719/jpair.v40i1.772 Print ISSN 2012-3981 Online ISSN 2244-0445 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7993-787X mailto:jorgeleslie1@gmail.com 68 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research abundant commodities in the Philippines. The study made used of a descriptive survey method to describe the type of consumer market and determine their preferences in fruit-based food items. The study revealed that the market consists of varied generations, with the majority under the generation Y or the millennials. Most of them were female, single, college graduates, employed, preferred to purchase fruit-based products weekly, and answered that they would be willing to try mango-based products. The market likewise considers products’ nutritional value that researchers, food technologists, and other food manufacturers must capitalize on incubating new product lines and marketing strategies to employ. Keywords — Marketing, Mango-based product, Customer Preference, Descriptive Survey Method, Central Luzon, Philippines INTRODUCTION Mango is one of the most popular and economically important crops in tropical regions throughout Asia, South America, Hawaii, Central America, the Caribbean, and Africa, with India remaining as the top mango producing country that approximately supplies 50% of the global mango supply that remains to be a seasonal fruit (Zahedi et al., 2016). According to Pawar et al. (2016), India, China, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines rank among the largest exporters and commercial producers of mangoes. The global market for processed mangoes is projected to rise with the increasing preference of consumers in naturally sweet fruit-based ingredients. The Philippines, in the Mango Global Value Chain (2017), significantly contributes to the mango processing segment. Processed mango exports climbed to US$91 million with dried mangoes represented the largest share among all processed products by 77%, followed by juices at 9%, airtight 8%, and 7% in purees (PSA, 2007-2014). In this segment, fruit quality is less of an issue, products that fail to meet quality standards for exportation as established in the World Trade Organization on Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures can still be processed. Food export rejection can be a harmful barrier to sustainable international food trade (Wen et al., 2018). This can be a challenge to third world countries to improve products to meet the demand for quality. However, inevitably, the incident causing damages to produce, with the volume of rejections that are not suited for fruit export, may be processed for consumption and exportation in a different form. With the foreseeable increase in post-harvest fruit damage of 69 International Peer Reviewed Journal mango production in Central Luzon, the study was conducted to determine mango-based products’ marketability. Market research is an indispensable part of any business process, which is beneficial in all business levels regardless of the type of products and services being offered. The core point lies in the identification of customer preference; hence, if the customer is satisfied, the business will be successful. Other factors, such as innovation, competition, inventions, technology, and the like, are only secondary (Jiang et al., 2019). This study determined the consumer behavior and preference of the market on mango-processed products, which are vital inputs used by Bataan Peninsula State University Food Technologists and scientists in developing new product lines. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The study aimed to determine the marketability of mango- based products as input to product development of local farm produced mangoes in Central Luzon. It specifically determines the respondent’s profile in terms of age, sex, civil status, place of residence, highest educational attainment, occupation, monthly income, and frequency of purchase on fruit-based products. It further identifies the consumer preference for mango-based products, acceptable price range, and the most engaging promotional tools from the consumers’ perspective. METHODOLOGY Research Design The study made use of the descriptive survey method in describing the consumer preferences on mango-based products and in determining the marketable mango-based products. Research Site The research was conducted at the selected provinces in Central Luzon, specifically Bataan, Pampanga, and Zambales, which have demo farms that were included in the BPSU Science and technology transfer project in Central Luzon. Respondents The participants of the study were the residents who purchased food items around the market areas, supermarkets, trade fairs, and public squares in each province. A stratified sampling technique was utilized to determine the sample 70 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research size from the total population of the three provinces using the Raosoft software sample size calculator, generating 392 actual respondents. Instrumentation This study made use of a researcher-made survey tool to gather data. The research instrument consisted of two (2) parts. The first part of the questionnaire dealt with the demographic profile of the respondents, while the second part consists of the description questions relating to the consumers’ preferences on fruit-based products. Validation of Instrument The instrument was validated by experts in the field of research, business, psychology, and food technology. The comments and suggestions given during the evaluation were considered in the revision to achieve the content and face validity of the researcher-designed tool. Clearance for the study’s conduct and use of the instrument was secured from the Peninsulares Research Ethics Committee. Informed consent was attached in the questionnaire, where voluntary participation was observed. Data Analysis The gathered data were tallied, analyzed, and processed using statistical software, SPSS. Frequency distribution and the percentage was computed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION As seen in Table 1, it can be observed that all generations were well represented in the study sample with the Generation Y or the Millennials were the predominant buyer at the public markets and public areas of the provinces, consisting of 47.4 % this is because millennials are characterized to be outgoing and participative that they want their views, ideas and opinion to be heard through the survey, this supports the article by Chou (2012), stating that millennials express themselves and are not easily intimidated by others because of lack of experience and status. 71 International Peer Reviewed Journal Table 1. Distribution of Respondents According To Age Age Range/ Generation Frequency Percentage 17 and Below (Generation Z) 50 12.8 18-34 (Generation Y) 186 47.4 35-50 (Generation X) 103 26.3 51 and Above (Baby Boomers) 53 13.5 Total 392 100 Table 2 reveals that there were more females in the total number of respondents, accounting for 47.4%. This data indicates that women are the primary shoppers for household goods and handle most of the grocery shopping as they rule the kitchen and other household areas. Bowers (2000) opined that food preparations and dining styles might have changed over the years, but food preparation remains to be associated with women. Table 2. Distribution of Respondents According to Sex Sex Frequency Percentage Male 132 33.7 Female 260 66.3 Total 392 100 Table 3 shows that the majority (66.3%) of the respondents were still single, consisting of 56.4%. This result relates to the data contained in Table 1, wherein the age range of the respondents at the time of the survey was below 17 to 35 years old, with a combined proportion of 60.2%. There is also a growing trend in supermarkets to be the singles’ hotspot, according to Bernon (2018). Singles bars are an outdated concept, and even the Wall Street Journal (2018) detailed that one of the reasons adults find dating and social success at the supermarket are because meeting people while shopping is low-key, non-confrontational, and does not involve deviating from their normal routine. 72 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research Table 3. Distribution of Respondents According to Civil Status Civil Status Frequency Percentage Single 221 56.4 Married 149 38.0 Widow/Widower 13 3.3 Annulled/Separated 5 1.3 Solo Parent 4 1.0 Total 392 100 Table 4 reveals that the three provinces that served as the research locale was well represented in the distribution of respondents. However, more respondents came from the Province of Bataan, considering that the researchers were residents and where the largest number of adopted mango farms were located. Table 4. Distribution of Respondents According To Place of Residence Province Frequency Percentage Bataan 171 43.70 Pampanga 126 32.0 Zambales 93 23.8 No Data Provided 2 0.5 Total 392 100 As seen in Table 5, a larger percentage of the respondents at 47.7% were college graduates, while only 37% were high school graduates. This finding indicates that the data were gathered first hand from the respondents out of their volition without any biases and that the content of the survey questionnaire was clearly understood. The data also implies that market-goers were well educated and appears to be smart shoppers. 73 International Peer Reviewed Journal Table 5. Distribution of Respondents According To Highest Educational Attainment Level of Education Frequency Percentage Elementary 14 3.6 High School 145 37.0 College 187 47.7 Masters/Doctorate Degree 23 5.9 Others 23 5.9 Total 392 100 The data contained in Table 6 reveals that the majority of the respondents at 54.8% were employed. This figure indicates that the respondents were not only shoppers, but they have the tendency to get the best value for their money’s worth as they are the ones earning them, these findings support the study of Ramya and Ali (2016) that social status often associated by employment is a factor in consumer buying behavior. Table 6. Distribution of Respondents According To Employment Status Employment Status Frequency Percentage Employed 215 54.8 Self-employed 63 16.1 Unemployed 30 7.7 Student 64 16.3 Others 20 5.1 Total 392 100 As seen in data in Table 7, there were more respondents whose monthly income was within the range of Php5, 000.00 and below, consisting of 39.5%, while the highest income for the 3.8% of the respondents was within Php25, 000.00. As observed during the survey, the respondents showed hesitation to provide data on their earnings tend to hide how much they earn in a month. These findings strengthen the results of paper worked by the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge that revealed that some individuals have a strong preference for concealing their salary and that these privacy norms usually leads to the misperception that their earnings were significantly lower. 74 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research Individuals have to learn about seniority instead of salary, and diffusion of salary information leads to labor market phenomena (Cullen & Truglia, 2018). Table 7. Distribution of Respondents According to Monthly Income Income Range Frequency Percentage PhP 5,000.00 and below 155 39.5 PhP 5,001.00-10,000.00 62 15.8 PhP 10,001.00-15,000.00 53 13.5 PhP 15,001.00-20,000.00 40 10.2 PhP 20,001.00-25,000.00 37 9.4 PhP 25,001-30,000.00 15 3.8 PhP 30,001.00-35,000.00 18 4.6 PhP 35,001.00 and above 12 3.1 Total 392 100 The information in Table 8 reveals that more respondents purchased fruit- based products weekly. This result relates to the common consumer buying behavior of grocery shopping at least once a week to stock up household supplies for a week’s consumption to save money and stick to a clear shopping plan and budget. This result relates to the findings of the study conducted by Hollis-Hansen et al., (2020), which opined that on mothers’ weekly food purchase and thinking intervention, they are likely to improve the calorie and nutrient content selection of their food purchases. Table 8. Number of Times Respondents Buy Fruit-Based Products Number of Times Frequency Percentage Once a day 84 21.4 Once a week 225 57.4 Once a month 78 19.9 Once a year 1 .3 Never 4 1.0 Total 392 100 The data in Table 9 shows that the majority of the respondents answered that they preferred to purchase drinks like fruit juices for direct consumption. 75 International Peer Reviewed Journal Commonly the consumption of fruit drinks would rise when the weather is hot. Filipinos, given with a tropical climate, are into drinking various types of beverages. In conjunction with the increase in consumer preference and lifestyle change towards healthier choices, the juice sector demonstrates positive and dynamic growth (Priyadarshini & Priyadarshini, 2018). Table 9. Respondents’ Preference in Fruit-Based Products Fruit-based Products Responses Percent of CasesN Percent Drinks (Fruit Juices) 322 50.5% 82.6% Bakery Food Items (Cakes; pastries) 135 21.2% 34.6% Confectioneries (Sweets; candies) 87 13.7% 22.3% Fruit Jams/Spreads 93 14.6% 23.8% Total 637 100.0% 163.3% As seen in the data in Table 10, more respondents (40.6%) answered that they would be willing to spend PHP 50.00 or less on fruit-based products per purchase at any given time. Furthermore, there were 34.9% that is equivalent to 137 respondents who responded that they would be willing to purchase fruit juices within the price range of PHP 51.00 to PHP 100.00 per item. Consumers are more responsive to price promotion of unhealthy foods and beverages than healthier items (Backholer, Sacks, & Cameron, 2019). Table 10. Amount of Money in Which Respondents Were Willing To Spend On Fruit-Based Products per Consumption Amount Frequency Percentage Below PHP 50.00 159 40.6 PHP 51.00-100.00 137 34.9 PHP 101.00-150.00 47 12.0 PHP 151.00-200.00 21 5.4 PHP 201.00-250.00 11 2.8 More than PHP 250.00 17 4.3 Total 392 100 76 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research When the respondents were asked as to their willingness to purchase mango- based products, as seen in Table 11, the majority of the respondents, comprising 58.7%, said that they would be willing to try the product. Another 36.5% answered that they probably would try the abovementioned product. This data is a good indication that the product being introduced in the market has a chance to be patronized by general consumers. Table 11. The Willingness of Respondents to Try Mango-Based Products Response Frequency Percentage Definitely won’t 11 2.8 Probably won’t 8 2.0 Probably will 143 36.5 Definitely will 230 58.7 Total 392 100 Table 12 reveals that the majority (68.8%) of the respondents said that they preferred mango juice among other mango-flavored types of beverages that Bataan Peninsula State University researchers and food technologists initially concocted. Based on common observation, the respondents would opt to select mango juice due to its popularity and familiarity, parallel to the result of a study of Torrico et al. (2019) revealed that product familiarity and culture affect the sensory acceptability of consumers towards different food products. Table 12. Respondents’ Preference in Purchasing Mango-Based Drinks Mango Flavored Drinks Responses Percent of CasesN Percent Mango Juice 330 68.8% 85.7% Mango flavored alcoholic beverage 35 7.3% 9.1% Mango flavored Energy drink 56 11.7% 14.5% Mango flavored Slimming drink 59 12.3% 15.3% TOTAL 480 100.0% 124.7%* *The percent of cases is from multiple responses having more than 100% total Table 13 reveals that more (45.7%) of the respondents answered that they preferred to purchase dried mangoes, among other confectioneries or sweet mango based processed goods. This data could be a good consideration for future 77 International Peer Reviewed Journal production, since the drying of fruits and vegetables enhances storage stability, minimizes packaging, and reduces transport weight (Sagar & Kumar, 2010). It can also be observed from the data that the usual Filipino confectioneries, pastillas, and polvoron were preferred by 28.9% and 19.6% of the respondents, respectively. This result signifies that Filipino food is still rooted in Filipino tastes despite the introduction of foreign processed products in the Philippine market. Table 13. Respondents’ Preference in Purchasing Mango-Based Confectioneries or Candies Fruit-based Products Responses Percent of Cases N Percent Mango Polvoron 104 19.6% 27.7% Mango Pastillas 153 28.9% 40.8% Mango Barquiron 31 5.8% 8.3% Dried Mango 242 45.7% 64.5% Others 0 0 0 TOTAL 530 100.0% 141.3%* *The Percent of Cases is from multiple responses having more than 100% total Table 14 shows that there were more (36.6.7%) of the respondents answered that they would be willing to buy mango cake, while a considerable proportion of the respondents exhibited preference on mango tart (20.7%) and mango cookies (19.6%) respectively. This data denotes that baked items are the most common and readily available in the Philippine market. Table 14. Respondents’ Preference in Purchasing Mango-Based Bakery Food Items Fruit-based Products Responses Percent of Cases N Percent Mango Tart 114 20.8% 31.8% Mango Cookies 107 19.6% 29.8% Mango Empanada 52 9.5% 14.5% Mango bar 74 13.5% 20.6% Mango cake 200 36.6% 55.7% Others 0 0 0 TOTAL 547 100.0% 152.4%* *The percent of cases is from multiple responses having more than 100% total 78 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research Table 15 shows that the majority (64.5%) of the respondents preferred to purchase mango jams as a spread. This relates to the fact that Filipinos are inclined to jam consumption. Thomas (2016) said that sandwich is a popular lunch food in the west while in the Philippines it is eaten for breakfast, morning and afternoon snacks and if most Westerners would prefer bacon, cheese, beef, Nutella, tomato, lettuce, ham, or tuna as their filling, Filipinos have their favorite sandwich spread, among the best-loved “palaman” are margarine, peanut butter, and jams. Table 15. Respondents’ Preference in Purchasing Mango-Based Spreads or Condiments Fruit-based Products Responses Percent of CasesN Percent Mango Marmalade 67 16.4% 19.3% Mango Jam 264 64.5% 76.1% Mango Pickle 78 19.1% 22.5% Others 0 0 0 TOTAL 409 100.0% 117.9%* *The Percent of Cases is from multiple responses having more than 100% total Table 16 shows the information and promotional tools that the respondents answered as they purchase food items. It can be observed that 81.9% said that they considered Nutritional Value when buying foods. This finding complements to the result of the study on Philippine consumer patronage of healthy meal options in food establishments (Glorioso et al., 2018). It can be noted that price (67.1 %), free trial or free taste (53.9%), and discounts (49.7%) were also considered by them before buying food items. With price as one of the elements in marketing strategy, it could be a motivating factor for buyers to consider (Armstrong et al., 2018) while free samples helped customers to learn about a product, while free tastes offer a more subconscious level where expectations and actions of people are in response to each other’s similar way as reciprocity which is a very strong instinct that when something was done or was given, people feel a surprisingly strong obligation to do something back for them and in this case, buying the actual product being presented (Zulkifli & Yazid, 2020). 79 International Peer Reviewed Journal Table 16. Promotional Tools Respondents Respond To In Purchasing Products Fruit-based Products Responses Percent of CasesN Percent Nutritional Value 316 16.0% 81.9% Packaging 160 8.1% 41.5% Label 129 6.5% 33.4% Price 259 13.1% 67.1% Printed Materials 45 2.3% 11.7% Social Media Advertisements 73 3.7% 18.9% Telemarketing 13 .7% 3.4% Personality Promotion 39 2.0% 10.1% Face to Face Selling 82 4.2% 21.2% Discount 192 9.7% 49.7% Coupon 52 2.6% 13.5% Premium Offer 90 4.6% 23.3% Free Trial/ Free Taste 208 10.6% 53.9% Accessibility of the Store 170 8.6% 44.0% Word of Mouth 143 7.3% 37.0% TOTAL 1971 100.0% 510.6%* *The Percent of Cases is from multiple responses having more than 100% total CONCLUSIONS Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that there is a market for mango-based food products in Central Luzon. Consumers are demographically diverse, engaged, and educated, who are conscious of what they want in a mango-based product that ranges from the food type, price, processing, shelf- life, packaging, and preparations. TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH It is highly suggested that Food Technologist, researchers, and food manufacturers develop a product that would suit the taste of the millennials, innovating on developing new product lines that bear longer shelf life that would suit the fast-paced lifestyle of the new generation. Likewise, it is recommended that product development enterprises be established through cooperatives, Small 80 JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research Medium Enterprises, with the support of Local Government Units (LGUs) and other service agency providers. Production of instructional materials, manuals, and other printed materials on food processing may also be compiled and distributed. LITERATURE CITED Armstrong, G. M., Kotler, P., Harker, M., & Brennan, R. 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