| Sweet potato is by far the most important staple food in Papua New Guinea. While much is consumed as a subsistence crop, it is also an important income earner for many small holder farmers in the Highlands of PNG. Of the Highlands sweet potato sold, about 90 percent is traded informally on open markets, locally or in coastal urban markets. Data from a consumer survey, from an informant interview of highlands suppliers and from consumer and supplier observations at the Lae market (the largest coastal urban market for sweet potato) was used to explore the extent to which Highland sweet potato in the coastal urban market of Lae, may be considered a differentiated product. As a staple food being sold on informal markets one may think it is best represented as... |
