A STUDY OF THE SOCIO - CULTURAL PARAMETERS ASSOCIATED WITH MEAT PURCHASING AND CONSUMPTION PATTERN: A CASE OF SOUTHERN PROVINCE, SRI LANKA

The factors affecting purchasing and consumption of meat are diverse and complex. The objective of this study was to understand the social and cultural parameters associated with the meat purchasing and consumption pattern of southern province in Sri Lanka. Pre-tested structured questionnaire was employed to collect information from 265 consumers. All the respondents consumed at least one kind of animal product. Only 1 % of respondents did not consume any type of meat. Eighty five percent of the respondents had established their meat consumption pattern at their child age. The religious believes (74 %), economic concerns (47 %) and antipathy for killing animals (82 %) were the most popular reasons for not being meat consumers. The most preferred meat types were chicken followed by mutton, beef and pork. There was a significant correlation between the type of meat consumed and sex, religion, family size but not with type of market (rural vs. urban), education level and occupation. An inverse relationship was found between age and meat consumption. Financial capabilities, religious concerns and preference of children were the priority determinant that influenced the purchasing behaviour of meat and meat products. It was concluded that the meat and meat product market in Sri Lanka should be diversified to match with the diverse preferences for different meat types