EMINE IKIKAT TUMER
Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Kahramanmaras, 46060, Turkey

Abstract

This study aims to determine the influence of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics related to household consumption of table olives and olive oil. As a result of the conducted Chi square analysis for this purpose, gender and education of household head, household income, and dieting because of a specific health problem have statistically significant effects on consumers’ decisions on table olives consumption. Moreover, age, gender and education level of household head, household size, household income, and dieting for a specific disease have statistically significant effects on consumers’ olive oil consumption decisions. The results of this study will provide guidance for table olives and olive oil producers and processor in increasing their market share in order to increase their market share as well as for companies which process and market these products.

INTRODUCTION
The vast majority of olive production is carried out in the Mediterranean countries (Spain, Italy, Greece, Tunisia and Turkey).This crop has been cultivated since ancient times throughout the Mediterranean coastline, and is a very important commercial product for olive oil production and table olive consumption (1, 2). Production of table olives has an important value in the agricultural economy of Turkey because of benefits such as healthy nutrition as well as utilization of own resources, employment and supply of raw materials for the other sub-sectors (3). Olives are effective against cancer and supplies A, D, E and K vitamins. In areas where the consumption of table olives is intensive, digestive disorders, gall bladder disease, particularly bowel cancer and heart diseases are less common. The reasons table olives are high in nutritional value is because they contain fibre. Moreover they are tasty, are high in protein and contain amino acids which must be taken into the body (especially leucine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid), unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and essential elements (4, 5).

Olive oil which is mad ...