Assets in buying mutton by consumers in Santa Maria RS Brazil

Abstract

Sheep and lamb breeding is one of the most important productions in the agriculture of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Increase in the population’s buying power and a rise in young animals’ meat availability favored new markets for sheep and lamb meat. Interviews on mutton consumption were undertaken between July 2007 and November 2007. A pre-structured questionnaire was prepared for consumers and distributed at one of the most popular meeting points in the town of Santa Maria RS Brazil. Current research evaluates the qualities of mutton by means of linguistic variables and fuzzy numbers. When the fuzzy approach is employed in data analysis, several subjective aspects related to mutton consumption are given. These aspects comprise price, custom or tradition, its physical aspect, flavor, origin and nutritional aspects. Whereas results show that price is not the main item in purchase decision, its physical aspect, which indicates food quality, is the main variable in the consumer’s purchase decision.