CONSUMPTION OF DOMESTIC VEGETABLES PRODUCED IN GREENHOUSES: A SOCIO–DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE CONSUMER

Abstract

In recent years farmers producers of vegetables in greenhouses of Albania have faced a number of problems within this cluster such as production standards, costs and sales. The decline in sales is related to domestic consumption; the facts from the markets of Tirana, support that the consumption of domestic products may not yet be a priority of consumers. The decline in consumption of domestic products affects farmers' incomes and the well–functioning of markets. Consumption of domestic vegetables produced in greenhouses can be affected by demand factors, including age, perception on food safety and consumers’ education. The literature supports impact of the above factors to the consumption. The paper’s objective is a measurement of the potential impact of variables such as age, food safety, consumers’ education and family members to the consumption of domestic products in the markets of Tirana. The results of the statistical model used shows that above variables affects to the consumption. The findings provide a socio–demographic profile of the consumer of domestic agricultural products produced in greenhouses and may serve for other future researchers.