This study uses discrete choice experiments to determine the valuation that individual market intermediaries (e.g., packers, shippers, marketers, and processors) place on targeted fruit quality traits in apple, peach, cherry, and strawberry for both the fresh and processing market. In general, market intermediaries assigned the greatest value to fruit quality traits that would enhance their profitability through increased consumer appeal, increased marketing time windows, or more efficient processing. These results should inform decisions among fruit marketing intermediary enterprises and contribute knowledge to breeding programs to ensure breeding efforts are focused and relevant to the industry and consumers' needs and desires.
259260 GALLARDO ET AL. on the crop, they store their fruit from short-to long-term and strive to retain critical quality characteristics that permit shipment at opportune market times. Packers place fruit in containers that minimize damage during handling and transporting, while shippers transport and deliver the fruit to locations designated by customers under conditions that maintain appropriate quality standards. Processors provide fruit to their customers in varied and convenient forms: fresh-sliced, frozen, juice, sauce, dried, etc.Despite the intrinsic importance of packers, shippers, marketers, and processors (hereafter referred to as "market intermediaries") in contributing to an efficient and profitable fruit-crop supply chain, no published studies have investigated the preferences and values that market intermediaries place on fruit quality. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature by estimating market intermediaries' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for targeted genetic traits of apples, peaches, sweet and tart cherries, and strawberries.
BACKGROUNDThis study is part of a larger project called RosBREED, dedicated to the genetic improvement of US rosaceous crops by targeted applications of genetics knowledge and tools to increase the efficiency of breeding programs and accelerate the development of improved cultivars (Weebadde et al., 2010). RosBREED focuses on fruit quality traits for apples, peaches, sweet and tart cherries, and strawberries, which are economically significant specialty crops that are produced in numerous US regions. The project includes a socio-economic component that seeks to systematically collect information on the values assigned by stakeholders along the supply chain and apply results to ensure breeding efforts are focused and relevant to the industry and consumers' needs and desires . This study is centered on market intermediaries' values for fruit quality attributes. One question of interest is how close are breeders' priorities aligned with market intermediaries' values? A recent survey, asked US breeders about the fruit quality attributes with the highest probability of being included when developing a new cultivar (Yue et al. (2012) and Gallardo et al. (2012). Apple breeders stated that they would likely include fruit crispness, fruit juicine...