Unravelling Consumer Preferences and Segments: Implications for Pakistan’s Mandarin Industry Development through Market Relocation

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This paper deals with an interesting topic of societal relevance. I fully agree with the authors that consumer preferences in the Global South have not been studied that much and need to be understood better in order to better meet the food demand side. Indeed, this is not only important from a business, but also from a development and food security perspective.

The paper is further well written and easy to follow.

I do not really see the link to the "value chain" debate and the typical value chain literature (Gereffi etc.) and I do not think it is that necessary.  I suggest to therefore reconsider the title and remove "value chain" of it.

The dataset is convincing, and a cluster analysis is reasonable. The authors could outline a little more in the methods section, why they chose this case and method (including the cluster grouping)  and how the 97% male interviewees affected the results.

The results are quite descriptive and should be more interpreted in the context of the literature review.

In how far do the results really outline changes (there is no dynamic visible, or have I missed something)?

The conclusion outlines quite a number of detailed policy recommendations, which are not backed up by the study. E.g. "growers are often resource-constrained in developing countries, lack information about modern practices and technologies, and need
support from relevant public-sector institutions". I think these parts should be removed, and it should only be focused on the interpretation and results of this study.

Author Response

Please see the attached file.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear Authors,

First of all, I would like to thank you for your contribution. It deals with an interesting topic which requires attention. Although I acknowledge the value of your work, I provide here some suggestions to raise its standing:

- The aim of your paper is not that clear. The authors should explain it better.

- An in-depth explanation of the methodology used is desirable. 

- Except for bringing light to the Pakistan market arena, what is the novelty of this study to the broad literature? What makes it noteworthy? Please, explain this in conclusions.

- Lastly, the authors should check for any typos in the text.

I hope these notes will improve the quality of your work.

Good luck with your future research!

Author Response

Please see the attached file.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Introduction

Paragraph 1.

- Give figures on the volume of production, the share of exports and the importance of the markets.

Paragraph 3.
- The authors are invited to detail the public policies specific to the tangerine sector.
- Please explain how the sub-optimal knowledge of consumer preferences can slow down the development of the sector?
Parag. 5
- A fundamental question to be clarified by the authors: if the Mandarin industry is mainly export-oriented, why are we interested in the behavior and preferences of local consumers? Are there several varieties? If so, which ones? Is there really an interest in analyzing the local industry? In other words, which market gives more added value to local producers and contributes more to the development of the commodity chain? The answer to this question makes or breaks the relevance of this study.

Literature review

- Attention to formatting
- A diagram or summary table is needed to summarize the main factors related to consumer preferences

Methodology
- Parag. 1 give numbers, %, demographics...

Data collection:

- how were the focus group participants chosen? what is their profile?
- What is the scope of the questionnaire?
- What are the qualities identified in the focus group?
- What is the proportion of consumers surveyed at the exit of modern versus traditional stores?
- What is the socio-professional and demographic profile of the consumers surveyed?
- Have the answers of the 20 tests been integrated into the analyzed database?
Data analysis: methods to be developed, as not clear enough for non-expert readers
Results
The whole first part of the analysis is based on descriptive statistics without any causal link. When we talk about consumer preferences we usually try to explain one or more behaviors, while here the authors only describe the distribution of their observations by multiple cross-tabulations.  For example, the authors can try to explain the choice Fresh vs Processed by means of a logit/probit regression. This logic should be applied to other behaviors....
Cluster analysis is very relevant, but it should be more relevant if the authors manage to do it on specific behaviors such as Fresh vs Processed. I encourage the authors to explain this analysis.

Conclusion
The conclusions needed to be revised based on the new results from the proposed analysis. The authors should step back from the questions posed in the introduction to provide answers. Clear recommendations for public action should be made.

Author Response

Please see the attached file.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

My recommendations were little followed by the authors. I invite the authors to revise their method of analysis in relation to the objective of the paper.

Author Response

Please see attachment. 

 

 

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf