Perceptions of Precision Agriculture Technologies in the U.S. Fresh Apple Industry

Advances in precision agriculture technologies provide opportunities to improve the efficiency of agricultural production systems, especially for high-value specialty crops such as fresh apples (Malus domestica). We distributed an online survey to apple growers in Washington, New York, and Michigan to elicit stakeholder perceptions of precision agriculture technologies. Findings from this study demonstrated that growers are willing to adopt precision agriculture technologies when they receive results from applied research projects and are engaged with active extension programs. The availability of customized services and purchasing and rental options may minimize the effects of the economies of size that create barriers to adopting increasing access to technologies. Finally, respondents deemed collaborative efforts between industry and academic institutions crucial for adapting the innovation to better address the needs of growers

Are WTP Estimates for Fruit Quality Similar between Growers and Consumers? Results of a Choice Experiment on Four Rosaceous Fruit Crops

WTP research is typically applied to consumer groups. Scant applied economics research has been done to elicit producers’ preferences and values for fruit quality, despite the important role producers play in the supply chain, as they take the financial risk to invest in a promising cultivar, making it accessible to the consumer in the marketplace through a sometimes complex supply chain. Our results show evidence that fresh market fruit producers are generally aligned with consumer preferences, as flavor and textural components were consistently given the highest WTP value among other fruit quality characteristics. However, market intermediaries (e.g., shippers, packers, marketers) do not exhibit the same preferences across all crops. The specific economic valuation placed by growers, market intermediaries, and consumers on individual attributes can now provide breeding programs more specific information to evaluate the fruit quality trait, and the targeted levels for that trait, within their programs

Market Intermediaries’ Ratings of Importance for Rosaceous Fruits’ Quality Attributes

We elicited market intermediaries’ (i.e., shippers, packers, marketers) preferences for various fruit quality traits in apples, peaches, strawberries, and cherries in terms of ratings of importance, and identify factors significantly influencing these ratings. In general, results indicate that market intermediaries rate fruit quality traits associated with U.S. grade standards and consumer acceptability as most important. Information about preferred quality traits and factors influencing those preferences should increase the efficiency of developing improved fruit cultivars that appeal to the whole supply chain. Improved cultivars should enhance the ability of breeders, growers, and market intermediaries to supply high-quality fruit that better satisfy consumer demand

How does the revelation of previous bid affect new bid?

This study investigates the effect of the revelation of posted bids in second-price experimental auctions for apple quality attributes under the experimental design where information is added progressively across rounds. We find that the revelation of posted bids does not bias the following bids and that increased information about the apple increases the accuracy of participants’ following bids. Therefore, the final round bids are used to evaluate consumers’ willingness to pay for the apple attributes of interest in this study. Consumers are found to prefer large, firm, sweet, crisp and less defects coverage apples

Grower Willingness to Pay for Fruit Quality versus Plant Disease Resistance and Welfare Implications: The Case of Florida Strawberry

We assess decision making when growers choose to invest in a new fruit cultivar, given the tradeoffs between superior fruit quality and improved disease resistance. We also estimate the welfare effects of adopting a cultivar with improved disease resistance. Florida strawberry growers are more willing to pay for fruit quality relative to improved disease resistance. When adopting a cultivar with improved disease resistance, Florida strawberry growers save between $182.40 and$204.50 per 1,000 plants every annual harvest period. Our findings improve the understanding of how strategic decisions are made to meet increasing marketplace demands for superior fruit quality and reduced chemical applications

Consumer preferences for apple quality traits

This study investigates the marginal values consumers place on apple quality traits as part of a larger SCRI project whose goal is to increase the long-term economic sustainability of Rosacea crops by increasing the U.S. per-capita consumption of fruits. Information on consumers’ preferences and the value they place on fruit quality is important and may help breeders better establish trait priorities and make the breeding process more efficient. We conducted sensory tasting tests and experimental auctions in order to study consumer preferences for apple quality traits. We find that consumers value more some quality traits depending on the information they have to make their decision. Size and color are important when consumers have information based on appearance, and sweetness and crispness are important when consumers have information based on sensory tasting tests

Perceptions of Precision Agriculture Technologies in the U.S. Fresh Apple Industry

Advances in precision agriculture technologies provide opportunities to improve the efficiency of agricultural production systems, especially for high-value specialty crops such as fresh apples (Malus domestica). We distributed an online survey to apple growers in Washington, New York, and Michigan to elicit stakeholder perceptions of precision agriculture technologies. Findings from this study demonstrated that growers are willing to adopt precision agriculture technologies when they receive results from applied research projects and are engaged with active extension programs. The availability of customized services and purchasing and rental options may minimize the effects of the economies of size that create barriers to adopting increasing access to technologies. Finally, respondents deemed collaborative efforts between industry and academic institutions crucial for adapting the innovation to better address the needs of growers

Combining sensory evaluations and experimental auctions to assess consumers’ preferences for fresh fruit quality characteristics

A combination of sensory evaluation and experimental auctions was used to analyze consumer preferences for external and internal quality characteristics of two fresh apple varieties “Honeycrisp” and “Gala.” A group of 384 panelists in three locations in the United States evaluated the appearance, the internal quality characteristics, in three sequential rounds, for the two apple variety samples. Each panelist responded to a sensory evaluation questionnaire, and then bid on the samples in an incentive compatible second price auction. We found that panelists’ bids increased with the amount of information given. Also, we found that for some attributes such as sweetness, panelists preferred levels closer to their ideal rather than objectively measured higher levels. When evaluating consumers’ preference and valuation for different fresh fruit varieties, a greater explanatory power is obtained when including an indicator variable for the variety along with the set of quality attributes. The indicator variable could improve the control of inherent factors related with the varieties but cannot be observed or inferred easily. Finally, our findings add to previous studies in that flavor, when expressed as a combination of sweetness and acidity in addition to textural attributes, are important determinants of consumers’ acceptance. [EconLit citations: Q13