Influence of Product Information on Processed Maize Flour Marketing by Small and Medium Millers in Dodoma City, Tanzania

Abstract

The study aimed at assessing the influence of product information on processed maize flour marketing by small and medium millers in Dodoma City.  According to The City Council of Dodoma (2020), Dodoma has 28 maize flour millers out of 856 in Tanzania. About 17 of the maize flour small and  medium millers in Dodoma package their products but 11 do not do so. Also, 70% of customers of maize flour in Dodoma buy the packaged maize flour  in bags (viroba) and 30% of the rest of customers go to the millers with their maize for processing; others buy in small portions measured in small tins.  However, with little or no formal studies carried out in Dodoma city on product information and its effect on processed maize flour marketing by small  and medium millers in Dodoma city’s perspective, this study, therefore, assessed the influence of product information on the marketing of processed  maize flour by small and medium millers in Dodoma city. A crosssectional research design was adopted for this study. A simple random sampling  strategy was used in choosing 96 respondents from small and medium millers in Dodoma city. Data was collected through a questionnaire for clients  (customers) and in-depth interviews with owners of Small and medium mills for processing maize into flour. Inferential statistics were used to analyse  data. The study findings indicated that product information was statistically and significantly related to marketing of processed maize flour by small and  medium millers in Dodoma city at a p-value less than 5% (p < 0.000). The study concluded that small and medium millers in Dodoma city, product  information, and finally packaging material had a significant effect on the marketing of processed maize flour. This implies that product information had  a great contribution to the marketing of processed maize flour by small and medium millers in Dodoma city. The study recommends that Small and  medium millers in Dodoma city should always ensure that their packaging is coloured so as to market the processed maize flour.