Vol. 9, Issue 5, Part L (2024)

Author(s): Amiya Rahim, Anu George, RS Jiji, P Vidya, VL Gleeja and K Radha

Abstract: The study was conducted among the consumers of goat milk in northern Kerala. Data were collected by personal interview method from 200 consumers selected using key informant technique and snow ball sampling procedure. The results showed that majority of respondents were aged between 30 to 50 years and had primary to secondary education. Most of them were males, more than 75 percent of them were married and most had a nuclear family of size up to four members. Most of them belonged to other backward communities and the major or subsidiary occupation of majority was livestock rearing. Most of them reared goats and had a landholding of less than 25 cents. Majority had an experience of 5 to 10 years in livestock farming and the annual income of majority was less than one lakh rupees. Disliking of odour and taste were found to be the most important barriers perceived for the consumption of goat milk. Other important barriers were unavailability, lack of awareness about the health benefits of goat milk and inability to afford the higher prices of goat milk.