Pa. Milk Consumption Study
(Continued from Page A 33)
It seems to be that decisions are
made either to purchase cola or a
fluid milk without regard to the
price of either beverage.
The lack of influence of income
on fluid milk consumption suggests
that fluid milk may have become a
staple in the diet which is pur
chased regardless of the level of
income. Increases in the level of
income don’t appear to cause
consumers to purchase more fluid
milk. It also appears that income
doesn’t affect the type of fluid milk'
purchased.
The demographic variables, on
the whole, did not appear to have a
strong influence on fluid milk
consumption.
The exception is for the effects of
the proportion of females on 2
percent, 1 percent, and skim milk
consumption.
It appears that women prefer 1
percent milk when they choose a
fluid milk beverage. However, it
also appears that they are not
consumers of fluid beverages,
even 1 percent milk, in large
quantities.
This may be a good target group
for advertisers since there is much
to gain from this group in in
creasing overall fluid milk con
sumption in addition to women’s
greater need for calcium.
Overall, the study suggests that
the price of the product is a
somewhat important factor in
consumers’ purchases of fluid milk
products in Pennsylvania.
However, it suggests that there are
some strong factors which are not
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 31,1967437
price, income or demographically
related which affect the con
sumption of fluid milk beverages.
The most prominent of these are
the probable changing tastes and
preferences of consumers, the
concern with health, and the
avoidance of fat in the diet. These,
coupled with the many alternative
beverage products which con
sumers have the opportunity to
purchase may have become very
important factors in the con
sumers’ decisions to purchase fluid
milk products.
Limitations Of
The Study
There are some limitations on this
study. The study used market
averages and sometimes with
aggregation (using averages)
some factors that do have a strong
influence on consumption get
watered down or averaged enough
so they appear not to have an
important influence on con
sumption. The inability to use
market prices for 2 percent, 1
percent, and skim milk and the
fact that there was such a small
range in all prices used were also
limitations in the study.
However, the study was an
important first step in'the analysis
of factors affecting consumption of
fluid milk products in Penn
sylvania. It did determine those
factors which influence milk
consumption on a broad, market
wide basis. This should provide
useful information to policy
makers who set minimum resale
prices in Pennsylvania and who
are interested in the market-wide
effects.
A follow-up study is desirable,
however, to avoid some of the
limitations of this study.
A study at the household level
would be able to pinpoint with
more accuracy the effects that
fluid milk prices, income, prices of
substitute products, and
demographic variables have on
fluid milk consumption.
Other studies could address the
issues of changing tastes and
preferences. The health con
siderations which are so prevalent
in consumers’ food purchase
decisions today, and the effect that
the increasing number of meals
consumed away from home have
on fluid milk consumption.
Harford Extension
Winter Meetings
Slated
BEL AIR, Md. - Agriculture
extension agents, Brenda
Schucker and Reg Traband,
recently announced on the four
Tuesday evenings in February the
Harford Extension Office will hold
their 1987 Farm Winter Meetings.
This year the Tuesday evening
sessions will be held beginning at
7:30 in the extension meeting room
at the County Administrative
Services Building, 220 S. Main St.,
Bel Air, MD.
The first session on Feb. 3 will
include a general look at the
National agricultural policy and
economic outlook for agriculture.
There will follow a discussion of
government agricultural
programs by a representative of
ASCS. The final speaker that
evening will give perspective and a
feed broker’s view of grain
marketing.
Feb. 10 will be dairy night. The
program will include mastitis
management and evaluation of
DHI records for dairy farmers.
This will be followed by a
videotape on best-management
practices for dairy farmers and a
personal testimony by a local
dairyman on his experiences in
managing mastitis.
Crop management will be the
center of discussion on Feb. 17.
That evening there will be a
discussion of what’s new in field
crop weed control and techniques
for obtaining maximum yields
from alfalfa.
The final evening of the four
sessions on Feb. 24 will be devoted
to beef marketing and obtaining
optimum value from small grain
forages.
In case of inclement weather,
agents noted, the meetings will be
held unless travel conditions are so
severe that travel is nearly im
possible. If there are questions
about these meetings being held
call the local Extension Office
during the afternoon on any
Tuesday in February. The phone
number is 838-6000, Ext. 235.