Evaluating consumer preferences for reduced cooking time, taste and colour of beans in rural and urban communities in Uganda

Common bean breeders strive to deliver farmer- and consumer-preferred varieties that are well-adapted to distinct production environments, changing markets and end uses. However, there is information gap on the key traits that customers prefer and are willing to pay for. This paper examined the preferences and willingness to pay for reduced cooking time and other selected traits in the Ugandan bean markets using a choice experiment data elicited from 1152 urban and rural bean consuming households. A latent class model was used to assess preferences and the willingness to pay for reduced cooking time. Results indicated that taste, cooking time, bean swelling on cooking, and grain color were the preferred attributes in decreasing order among non-bean-producers. About 72