Consumer Characteristics and Preferences of Rice Attributes Based on the Income Levels in Palembang

The study was conducted on 150 respondents living in Palembang city that were randomly selected based on the assumptions of community groups that have high income groups (50 respondents), medium income groups (50 respondents), and low income groups (50 respondents). The purpose of the study is to describe the characteristics of consumers and analyze consumer preferences for rice attributes based on the level of household income in Palembang city. This showed that the characteristics of households from the three level groups, both from the high, medium, and low income groups are very diverse which can influence the decision to choose and buy rice to be consumed. Rice attributes include the level of rice extinction, rice retention, taste of rice, aromatic, type of rice, volume of development, head rice, broken grains, grain groats, lime grains, and color. Household consumer preferences based on the importance level of rice attributes for the very important category most selected in the high and medium income groups are the quality before the rice becomes rice, while the low income group is a resilience factor in rice. Household consumer preferences based on the level of preference for the attribute of rice for the category of very like the most chosen in the high income group is the taste of rice, for the medium income group is rice cake and the low income group is rice and head rice.