Reactions by Consumers in a Farmers' Market to Prices for Seedless Watermelon and Ratings of Eating Quality

Abstract

Consumers in six farmers' market locations in Kansas indicated that they would pay an additional 5¢ per pound for seedless watermelons. When asked to rate seeded and seedless melons on a 1 to 10 scale after tasting samples, consumers rated the seedless melon 7.35 and the seeded melon 7.01. There were no practical differences among the six locations studied. With the difficulties in growing seedless melons and greater costs of production, growers and marketers need to assess carefully the market potential for seedless watermelons and plan a merchandising strategy to differentiate seedless from seeded melons. Our studies indicated a slight eating quality preference for seedless melons.