Consumer Preference for Goat Meat in Sierra Leone

Meat constitutes one of the primary sources of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals in the human diet. The worldwide demand for meat and other products from animals has soared. With the increasing demand for meat products, increased meat marketing may boost the capacity to satisfy financial responsibilities and improve living conditions. Comprehending consumer meat consumption patterns will aid the development of small ruminants and the livestock industry. The objective of this study was to assess consumers' preference for goat meat in Sierra Leone. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information from 367 goat meat consumers in four cities in Sierra Leone. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. The result revealed that 57.2% of the consumers liked goat meat to a great extent. The most important reasons for liking goat meat were flavor (53.7%) and taste (23.2%). Most consumers bought goat meat based on price. The level of education (p<0.01) and religion (p<0.01) are the socioeconomic factors that positively influence consumer preference for goat meat. The goat meat cuts preferred the most by consumers are the breast (39.5%), the leg (14.2%), and the shoulder (11.4%). Therefore, disseminating these findings is crucial, as knowledge of present and probable demand would help extension workers educate and encourage farmers to produce what is needed in the market. Thus, this would enhance farmers' access and bargaining power in the market, increasing incomes and improving livestock farmers' livelihoods.