A Market Driven Approach to Ethnic Crop Production for the US East Coast

Full text

261
Reprinted from: Issues in new crops and new uses. 2007. J. Janick
and A. Whipkey (eds.). ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA.
A Market Driven Approach to Ethnic Crop Production for the
US East Coast
Ramu Govindasamy
*
, William Sciarappa, Venkata S. Puduri, Richard VanVranken, Albert Ayeni, Kim Pappas,
James E. Simon, Frank Mangan, Mary Lamberts, and Gene McAvoy
Economic opportunities have arisen in the last decade for specialty crop agriculture catering to the ethni-
cally diverse consumers along the eastern coast of the United States (Sciarappa 2001, 2003; Tubene 2001; Gov-
indasamy et al. 2006; Mendonca et al. 2006). United States Census data show average population increases of
13% from 1990 to 2000 as compared to 48% for Asians and 58% for Hispanic/Latinos (US Census 1990, 2000).
The ethnic population boom along the East Coast is even more pronounced. In ethnically diverse population
hubs such as the Northeast Region, the Asian population growth reached 60%. Although the aggregate Hispanic/
Latino rate of growth in the Northeast does not currently exceed the national average, the Mexican population
in the Northeast has increased 174% (not including any non-documented illegal immigrants that are working
in this region, many of whom may be seasonal help for agricultural growers). The rapid expansion of ethnic
populations presents signicant opportunities for fruit and vegetable producers in the region to take advantage
of the comparative advantages associated with close proximity to densely populated areas. In response to a
need for East Coast farmers to remain economically viable, a US Department of Agriculture, National Research
Initiative study was initiated to document and quantify the current available market opportunities so that farm-
ers may engage the market by growing crops targeted from a demand perspective.
A survey based on random sampling was prepared for four predominant and growing ethnic groups, spe-
cically; Chinese, Indian, Mexican, and Puerto Rican. East Coast residents (271) were interviewed from each
selected ethnicity totaling 1,084 samples. Bilingual surveys of these ethnic consumers developed food crop
preference and ranking from a potential list of over 100 fruits and vegetables. Crop production experts along
the East Coast from Florida to Massachusetts further narrowed this list based upon production and climatic zone
criteria. Specic lists of vegetable preferences and ethnic community maps were compiled to connect growers
to these emerging marketplaces and to direct crop demonstration plots for university partners.
The general objectives of this study were to: (1) identify and estimate the market size for ethnic segments
that present signicant opportunities to local growers; (2) assess demand, conduct production studies, and make
recommendations for appropriate ethnic produce items to locally address this market; and (3) develop strategies
and production timelines to coordinate production of select ethnic crops to exploit this market niche.
The intended outcome of the project was to generate and distribute science-based information about produc-
tion, marketability, and utilization of selected ethnic crops and herbs. This initiative bridges the supply-demand
*The authors acknowledge several individuals who contributed valuable expertise and guidance to the progress of the
project. At the University of Maryland, we appreciate the inputs of Stephan Tubene, Agricultural Economist, Coordina-
tor of the Small Farm Institute, and State Coordinator of Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
(CSREES), USDA Small Farm Programs. We also recognize the valuable contributions from Rutgers Food Innovation
Center (FIC) and Interregional Research Project No. 4 (IR-4) and most notably, the respective marketing and crop expertise
of Diane D. Holtaway, Associate Director and Hong Chen, Chair, International Crop Grouping Consulting Committee.
These university partners made signicant contributions in the initial consumer survey development, specically in the
ethnic crop identication and selection process. We acknowledge the Language Institute at Rutgers and, in particular, R.
Van Ness Simmons and Phyllis Zatlin for their assistance in securing translators from their respective Asian and Spanish
language departments to prepare bilingual versions of the ethnic consumer surveys. Morris Gbolo and Vivian Quinn of
Rutgers Cooperative Extension are recognized and appreciated for their eld trial management. We also thank Chung
Park and Qing-Li Wu of UMass and the New Use Agriculture and Natural Plant Products Program for their valuable as-
sistance and support relative to Asian ethnic crops.
This project was supported by the National Research Initiative (NRI) of the Cooperative State Research, Education and
Extension Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Award # 2005-35618-15735. The opinions expressed
in the article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reect ofcial positions or policies of the USDA, NRI, Rutgers
University, University of Florida, or University of Massachusetts.

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gap, delivering practical solutions to economic problems faced by many vegetable growers, and contributes to
the nutritional and health needs of regional consumers.
RESEARCH APPROACH
Market Niche Identication; Justication for Subject Group Selection
National Trends. Opportunities to capture anticipated market growth in certain ethnic markets were identied,
specically for ethnic market segments growing at faster rates than their ethnic and/or non-ethnic counterparts
and for which growth is expected to continue. The primary groups meeting these criteria included Asians and
Hispanics. The top two sub-groups within each of these segments were chosen for the study; Chinese and
Asian Indian (Asian sub-groups) and Puerto Rican and Mexican (Hispanic sub-groups). Although the Filipino
population and absolute growth for the same period ranked slightly higher than that of the Asian Indians, they
were not selected as a subject group of study given that approximately half of the Filipino population in the
United States resides in California (outside the geographic scope of the study).
Rationale and Signicance. Despite the competitive disadvantages relative to year-round producers in lower
production cost areas, signicant comparative advantages exist for local East Coast growers as a result of densely
populated areas rich in ethnic diversity. It has become increasingly necessary for these producers to adopt new
crops and create new value-added opportunities in order to remain economically viable. Growing ethnic crops
present opportunities for producers to exploit existing comparative advantages associated with serving densely
populated local ethnic markets in order to sustain farming operations and increase protability. The coordination
of production and marketing are critical to avoid the threats of rapid over-production (which can quickly lead to
an oversupply of a particular product and depressed prices) and overcome inadequate marketing infrastructure
in order to move product into community markets. Establishing and extending existing cooperative marketing
memberships or afliations along the East Coast, from North to South, can create an improved market system
that provides appropriate year-round supplies to the area.
Ethnic Consumer Survey
The research program includes the development, administration, and data collection from an ethnic
consumer survey. The survey objective was to gather relevant consumer information from four ethnic groups
(Chinese, Indian, Mexican, and Puerto Rican) to include demographics, shopping patterns and preferences,
expenditures on selected ethnic produce, and willingness to pay premiums over traditional American produce.
The data collected are being utilized to analyze ethnic consumers’ patterns of purchase and propensity to pur-
chase ethnic produce, estimate the associated market potential, and prioritize subsequent production studies of
individual crops.
Survey Method. Sample sizes for each ethnicity were identied based on 2000 Census populations for Chinese,
Asian Indians, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans in the 16 East Coast states and the District of Columbia (Table 1).
Sample sizes of 271 surveys for each of the four ethnic groups were statistically determined for a total of 1,084
surveys of ethnic produce consumers. (The sampling error associated with an East Coast sample of 271 people
from each of the four ethnic groups is approximately ±5% with a 90% condence interval.)
Further sample size requirements were established, based upon ethnic group by state, in accordance with
a stratied random sampling method (stratied random sampling was used where the sample is selected such
that ethnic groups are represented in the same respective proportion, by state, as they occur in the population,
per Census 2000; Table 1). An additional sample size of 271 was established to gather data in a short survey
delivered to non-purchasers of ethnic produce to assess their reasons for not purchasing these items.
Implementation and Outcomes. An outsourced rm specializing in telephone and internet data collection, The
Wats Room Incorporated (WATS), was contracted to conduct 1,355 telephone interviews using Computer-Assisted
Telephone Interview (CATI) technology. Their surveys were conducted by phone to ensure that a statistically
signicant randomized sample was obtained. This entailed targeting and achieving the required sample sizes

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Botanicals and Medicinals
by ethnicity and state while minimizing any costs associated with sample surpluses in certain states and decits
in others (as might occur with a mail-administered survey).
Qualied (bi-lingual) interviewers received on-site Human Subjects Certication Program (HSCP) training,
per Federal-wide Assurance guidelines, in addition to survey-specic training and practice, prior to conduct-
ing actual interviews. (HSCP includes background material on human subject research which includes history,
policies, regulations, procedures and ethical practices.) A member of the Rutgers research team was on-site at
WATS in Rochelle Park, New Jersey during this training to monitor the process, tour the facility, and oversee
operations. Ongoing interviewer monitoring throughout the eld period was conducted by WATS. Interview-
ing commenced in late February 2006, continued into March, with initial results available by the end of March
and nal data les provided in early May, 2006.
Over 13,000 potential interviewee leads were utilized by WATS in order to meet the sample size require-
ments. These leads were generated by ethnic surnames, selected using a randomized selection process, and
further randomized through CATI programming. Ultimately, a total of 1,366 phone surveys were completed by
ethnic consumers as follows; 1,084 long-version surveys by purchasers of ethnic produce (271 ethnic produce
purchasers from each of the four ethnicities surveyed; Chinese, Asian Indian, Mexican, and Puerto Rican) and
282 short-version surveys by non-purchasers of ethnic produce (dened as not having purchased within the past
year), irrespective of ethnic group (Table 2; the actual number of short-version surveys collected exceeded the
objective slightly, resulting in 1,366 useable surveys as compared to the original 1,355 objective). Roughly 10%
of the numbers selected at random for each ethnic group yielded complete interviews. However, many of tele-
phone numbers originally selected were non-residential or non-working numbers. Removal of these non-working
numbers from the equation reveals that 14% of the calls to working residential numbers resulted in completed
interviews. Many multiple call attempts to working residential numbers were unsuccessful in contacting the
principal grocer shopper in the house, as required for the survey interview. Surveys were conducted between 5
pm and 9 pm EST to accommodate those shoppers that work. Despite repeat call attempts of up to 10 telephone
calls and/or three appointment setting follow-ups per number, many qualied interviewees could not be reached.
The cooperation rate, or completed interviews as a percent of calls to a qualied (accessible) interviewee, was
Table 1. East coast ethnic populations (United States Census 2000).
Ethnic group
State
Chinese Asian Indian Mexican Puerto Rican
Connecticut 19,172 23,662 23,484 194,443
Delaware 4,128 5,280 12,986 14,005
District of Columbia 3,734 2,845 5,098 2,328
Florida 46,368 70,740 363,925 482,027
Georgia 27,446 46,132 275,288 35,532
Maine 2,034 1,021 2,756 2,275
Maryland 49,400 49,909 39,900 25,570
Massachusetts 84,392 43,801 22,288 199,207
New Hampshire 4,074 3,873 4,590 6,215
New Jersey 100,355 169,180 102,929 366,788
New York 424,774 251,724 260,889 1,050,293
North Carolina 18,984 26,197 246,545 31,117
Pennsylvania 50,650 57,241 55,178 228,557
Rhode Island 4,974 2,942 5,881 25,422
South Carolina 5,967 8,356 52,871 12,211
Ver mont 1,330 858 1,174 1,374
Virginia 36,966 48,815 73,979 41,131
Total 884,748 812,576 1,549,761 2,718,495

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Issues in New Crops and New Uses
approximately 37% (the cooperation rate is dened for these purposes as completed interviews as a percentage
of the sum of completed interviews, refusals, and language barriers cited).
The surveys were administered by trained, bilingual phone interviewers in order to minimize response
bias due to potential language barriers. The interview languages made available were as follows; (1) Chinese
interviews offered/conducted in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese; (2) Indian interviews offered/conducted in
English and Hindi; and (3) Mexican and Puerto Rican offered/conducted in English and Spanish (reective of
respective dialect differences between the two countries of origin; used, as needed, according to interviewer
conrmation of respondent’s country of origin). The results of the produce expenditure data from 1,084 surveys
completed by ethnic produce purchasers, combined with the expertise of local crop specialists (and consideration
for logistical concerns), provided the tools necessary to prioritize crops for subsequent production research.
SURVEY RESULTS
Survey Outline: Sequence and Content
Two versions of the survey were administered; long and abridged. The questionnaire was designed to
rst assess whether the ethnic respondent was a consumer of ethnic produce (in the past twelve months) or not,
using a “yes” or “no” screening question. Then a skip sequence was used by the interviewer, depending on the
interviewee’s response, to either; if “yes,” continue with a line of questioning that will help to identify ethnic
produce demand factors, or if “no,” identify reasons for not purchasing ethnic produce (potential market op-
portunities).
The “purchasers” (respondents answering in the afrmative) proceeded to complete the longer form of the
survey, inclusive of questions about their purchase patterns (frequency, spending, point of purchase, quantity,
price, and average expenditures) and preferences and opinions with regard to product, placement, and price.
Such inquiries were made to quantify demand, assess the importance of product attributes, compare ethnic
versus conventional outlets (consumer perception), and determine price potential (via consumer willingness-
to-pay a premium over comparable American or conventional substitutes). These respondents were also asked
questions about different promotions and advertisements and whether or not they inuence purchase decisions.
In addition, each respondent was asked whether or not he/she grows ethnic produce for consumption at home
and whether he/she is a vegetarian. Demographic inquiries were made with regard to neighborhood, residency,
household size and age composition, languages and prociency, and country of origin, in addition to other basic
socio-economic factors (age, education, income, etc.).
The “non-purchasers” (respondents with a negative answer) were urged to provide reasons they do not
generally purchase ethnic produce and were prompted with plausible causes, if need be, such as “do not like
ethnic produce,” “lack of availability,” “poor selection,” “ethnic outlet not available or too far,” or “other.” These
respondents then proceeded to complete the abridged form of the survey. Both purchasers and non-purchasers
were asked questions about their relative willingness (i.e. more willing, indifferent, less willing, or unsure) to
buy ethnic produce based on certain factors and/or product attributes.
Table 2. Ethnic produce survey respondent summary.
Number of completed surveys
Ethnic group
Purchasers
z
Non-purchasers
y
Total
Chinese 271 107 378
Asian Indian 271 36 307
Mexican 271 105 376
Puerto Rican 271 34 305
Total 1,084 282 1,366
z
Purchasers are respondents that indicated they have purchased ethnic fruits
and vegetables within the past 12 months.
y
Non-purchasers are respondents that indicated they have not purchased ethnic
fruits and vegetables within the past 12 months.

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Botanicals and Medicinals
The long version of the survey (completed by purchasers only) was intended to gather demand and market-
ing information inclusive of the proverbial “4 P’s” of marketing (Product, Placement, Price, and Promotion). The
results of these surveys were used to assess the market demand for the respective high-potential ethnic markets,
and to direct subsequent research (i.e. prioritize production crops) to satisfy and/or capture some of this demand.
The abridged survey version (completed by “non-purchasers,” irrespective of ethnic group), was collected to
ascertain reasons for non-purchase and identify potential new, extended opportunities to exploit these markets.
This shortened version gathered primarily the promotion and placement preferences, to maximize the marketing
reach of the initial project efforts by attempting to address such potentially underserved markets.
Consumer Produce Expenditures
The preliminary focus of the purchase pattern survey results data was to quantify the average weekly
expenditure for specic ethnic crops, to prioritize the subsequent production research. Detailed data including
the quantity, unit of measure (pounds/bunches/numbers), price, and average expenditure for each produce item
was collected and analyzed. Once summarized, this data yielded average expenditures for each crop, by ethnic
group, and served as a common denominator to compare and prioritize crops across groups (described in greater
detail in the “Crop Selection Process” section that follows).
Consumer Demographics
The purpose of the socio-demographic data collection is to identify relationships between ethnic consumer
expenditures and the respective demographic proles. In addition to the typical socio-demographic data (age,
education, income, etc.), information such as birthplace, length of residency in the United States, and age of
immigration to the United States was collected to measure acculturation.
Additional analysis of the survey sample expenditures and demographics as they correspond to consumer
shopping patterns, preferences, and related practices, will be utilized to develop predictive demand models for
the larger populations. These models will facilitate effective distribution efforts by enabling producers, wholesal-
ers, and retailers to target appropriate markets and locations, based upon demographic proles and geographic
population concentrations. Mapping tools developed for such purposes will help suppliers to identify markets
of interest, from both a top-down (locate ethnic concentrations; ethnic population, by state, by municipality)
and bottom-up approach (determine market reach; ethnic populations, by proximity to market, by state). This
will help to marry the supply with local demand, as appropriate, to optimize marketing efforts.
CROP SELECTION PROCESS
Identify Ethnic Crops of Interest (100+ Crops)
Create Initial Ethnic Crop List. An initial list of ethnic crops commonly sold/marketed and considered as ethnic
produce items for each of the four ethnic groups of study was compiled based upon a combination of focus
groups and identication through related research (Govindasamy 2006).
Conduct Process of Elimination. To determine which crops from the initial list to include in the survey, a panel
of over 10 experts (marketing, eld/extension, and crop specialists) scrutinized the potential list of more than 100
ethnic crops to eliminate those with existing production barriers that could impede their local production and/
or marketplace success. Production barriers included local climate limitations, growth cycle (relatively short
cycle necessary to grow in designated East Coast production sites), seed supply availability and regulation, and
local competition and/or commodity nature of certain produce items. Thus, specialty crops with short post-
harvest life were given priority over commodity and less-perishable crops such as beans and certain peppers
used primarily as spices.
This process (Fig. 1) reduced the survey crop candidate list by more than 50%, resulting in a rened list
of 42 crops (10 each for Asian Indian, Mexican, and Puerto Rican, and 12 for Chinese) to assess demand. Due
to budgetary constraints, the list required further reductions to arrive at a nal list of approximately 28 crops
(7 per ethnicity), to be included in subsequent production research (Table 7). Assessment of the survey results,
along with additional production evaluation for each, was conducted to achieve program goals.

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Issues in New Crops and New Uses
Assess Demand and Supply (Production Potential: 42 Crops)
Rank Crops by Ethnicity. Results of the USDA-NRI survey of 271 randomly selected East Coast consumers
from each of the four ethnic groups were used to rank the crops included in the questionnaire, within ethnicity,
according to expenditure and/or purchase data. Multiple criteria were established to rank produce items
according to: (1) mean (weekly) expenditures across all respondents (including zero purchases); (2) mean (weekly)
expenditures across only respondents purchasing that item (excluding zero purchases); (3) frequency of purchase
across respondents (binary; 1 or 0 for purchase or non-purchase, respectively), (4) volume (number of pounds,
bunches, or units) purchased by each respondent for each produce item; and (5) overall rank (average of results
rankings #1 thru #4) for each produce item.
Although the rank order varied somewhat across the multiple criteria, a few produce items from each
ethnicity consistently ranked 8 or higher in a majority (at least 3 out of 5) of the criteria. This allowed for a
systematic approach to eliminate crops from the nal production study. An Overall Rank threshold of 8 (average
rank higher than 7) was established to help identify crops with relatively low survey demand. Crops were also
evaluated for production research potential (research interest, yield potential, and anticipated cost effectiveness)
by eld study participants at each site. A combined assessment (actual demand and projected production po-
tential) was particularly important in cases where a single systematic approach was not sufcient to distinguish
between crops for research prioritization purposes.
Re-visit Research Candidates; Examine Survey Demand Rank. Expenditure results of the Chinese consumers
surveyed revealed a distinct ranking of 12 Chinese crops (Table 3). Five Chinese crops received an Overall Rank
of 8 or higher and a rank of 8 or higher in a majority of the 5 categories, suggesting lower marketplace potential
relative to their 1 thru 7 ranked counterparts. Three out of these 5 crops consistently ranked 8 or higher in every
category. The remaining two2 crops had only a marginally preferred rank of 6 or 7 in one of the 5 categories.
As such, none of the 5 crops were considered strong candidates for further research. Rather, the top 7 ranked
crops based on “Overall” survey demand were the crops recommended for production research.
Fig. 1. Ethnic produce project: crop selection process.

267
Botanicals and Medicinals
Table 3. Chinese ethnic produce survey ranking.
Rank based on criteria (weekly purchases)
Produce
Avg. ex-
penditure:
includes all
purchasers
z
Avg. ex-
penditure:
excludes “0”
expenditures
y
Produce
purchase
frequency
Produce
volume
bought
Average
rank
Overall
rank
Average
exp
($)
Baby pak choy 1 1 2 2 1.5 1 2.26
Pak choy 2 5 1 1 2.25 2 1.77
Oriental eggplant 3 2 5 4 3.5 3 1.60
Snow peas 4 4 6 6 5 4 1.29
Oriental spinach 5 7 4 5 5.25 5 1.28
Napa cabbage 7 10 3 3 5.75 6 1.04
Ridged gourd/luffa 6 3 8 7 6 7 1.10
Edamame 8 8 7 9 8 8 0.79
Oriental mustard 9 9 9 8 8.75 9 0.71
Malabar spinach 11 6 12 12 10.25 10 0.20
Basil 10 12 10 10 10.5 11 0.22
Perilla 12 11 11 11 11.25 12 0.19
z
Purchasers are respondents that indicated they have purchased ethnic fruits and vegetables within the past
12 months. Includes all purchasers’ responses (whether the respondent purchased a particular item or not; i.e.
includes purchases reported as “0”).
y
Includes only the purchasers who purchased the corresponding item (such that the number of purchasers varies
by item; i.e. excludes purchases reported as “0” for a given item).
Results of the similarly surveyed Asian Indian consumers reveal the ranking of 10 Indian crops (Table 4).
Three crops received an Overall Rank of 8 or higher and had a rank of 8 or higher in a majority of the 5 cat-
egories. However, 2 of these 3 crops had a favorable rank (of 4) in one category (each) and as such, warranted
further consideration based upon evaluation of their respective production research potential. As a result, both
of these crops were still considered for production and were further evaluated. In this particular instance, one of
these crops is purchased by the bunch and, as such, was generally purchased in lower quantities relative to other
vegetables purchased by the pound or in numbers. Consequently, “frequency” (versus “quantity”) of purchase
was given special consideration for comparisons and ranking purposes.
The results of the similarly surveyed Mexican consumers reveal the ranking of 10 select Mexican crops
(Table 5). With the exception of the Anaheim pepper, the 3 crops that carried an Overall Rank of 8 or higher
consistently did so across all criteria. Although the Anaheim pepper had a rank of 8 or higher in a majority of
the categories, it had a favorable rank (of 6) in one category. As a result of this exception, and due to the pro-
duction interest in pepper cultivar, the Anaheim pepper was further considered and ultimately recommended
for inclusion in production research.
The results for surveyed Puerto Rican consumers reveal the ranking of 10 select Puerto Rican crops (Table
6). Three crops received an Overall Rank of 8 or higher, but only 2 of those had a rank of 8 or higher in a
majority of the 5 categories. Dominican eggplant (or Berenjena) had a rank of 7 in 3 out of 5 categories. As a
result of this marginal rank, and given the favorable rank for eggplant in each of the Asian Indian and Chinese
data sets, this additional cultivar was further considered for production research. The 2 other crops with an
Overall Rank of 8 or higher also warranted a closer look, given their favorable rank in one category (each) and
were still considered for production research.
Re-evaluate Survey Rank: Consider Production Potential. Once the survey data rankings were examined, any
crops that did not rank higher than 7 for all criteria were re-evaluated to either further justify their inclusion in
the existing top 7 Overall Rank standings for each ethnicity, or adjust the proposed 7 production crops for each

268
Issues in New Crops and New Uses
Table 5. Mexican ethnic produce survey ranking.
Rank based on criteria (weekly purchases)
Produce
Average
expenditure:
includes all
purchasers
z
Average
expenditure:
excludes “0”
expenditures
y
Produce
purchase
frequency
Produce
volume
bought
Average
rank
Overall
rank
Average
expenditure
($)
Chili jalapeno 1 3 2 1 1.75 1 2.76
Tomatillo 2 4 3 2 2.75 2 1.73
Calabaza 3 2 4 4 3.25 3 1.49
Chili poblano 5 1 6 6 4.5 4 1.28
Calabacita 4 5 5 5 4.75 5 1.28
Cilantro 6 10 1 3 5 6 1.24
Chili serrano 7 7 7 7 7 7 0.92
Anaheim pepper 8 6 8 8 7.5 8 0.83
Chili habanaro 9 9 9 9 9 9 0.24
Tut u ma 10 8 10 10 9.5 10 0.10
z
Purchasers are respondents that indicated they have purchased ethnic fruits and vegetables within the past
12 months. Includes all purchasers’ responses (whether the respondent purchased a particular item or not; i.e.
includes purchases reported as “0”).
y
Includes only the purchasers who purchased the corresponding item (such that the number of purchasers varies
by item; i.e. excludes purchases reported as “0” for a given item).
Table 4. Asian Indian ethnic produce survey ranking.
Rank based on criteria (weekly purchases)
Produce
Average
expenditure:
includes all
purchasers
z
Average
expenditure:
excludes “0”
expenditures
y
Produce
purchase
frequency
Produce
volume
bought
Average
rank
Overall
rank
Average
expenditure
($)
Bitter gourd 1 2 3 2 2 1 2.48
Eggplant 2 6 1 1 2.5 2 2.23
Fenugreek leaves 3 8 2 3 4 3 1.48
Cluster beans 4 3 6 5 4.5 4 1.33
Bottle gourd 5 7 5 4 5.25 5 1.31
Mustard leaves 6 1 8 7 5.5 6 1.06
Ridged gourd 7 5 7 6 6.25 7 0.94
Mint leaves 8 10 4 8 7.5 8 0.68
Amaranth 9 4 10 10 8.25 9 0.61
White pumpkin 10 9 9 9 9.25 10 0.56
z
Purchasers are respondents that indicated they have purchased ethnic fruits and vegetables within the past
12 months. Includes all purchasers’ responses (whether the respondent purchased a particular item or not; i.e.
includes purchases reported as “0”).
y
Includes only the purchasers who purchased the corresponding item (such that the number of purchasers varies
by item; i.e. excludes purchases reported as “0” for a given item).
ethnicity, as appropriate. This analysis took into account additional considerations such as appropriateness of
individual ranking criteria (some measures may be inappropriate or less relevant for comparisons of certain
crops), increased prioritization as a result of cross-ethnicity demand, research need for crop variety (production)
comparisons, among other considerations.

269
Botanicals and Medicinals
Consolidate/Maximize Across Ethnicities. A nal review of the combined selected 7 crops from each ethnicity
resulted in further consolidation and re-prioritization of crops for production research. Further additions, deletions,
and substitutions were made to the initially selected 7 crops for each ethnicity to eliminate duplication and
maximize production research efforts across ethnic groups. This consolidation process enabled the introduction
and/or substitution of different varieties of the same crop so that production research may be appropriately
concentrated to allow for variety comparisons and optimize the research ndings.
Table 6. Puerto Rican ethnic produce survey ranking.
Rank based on criteria (weekly purchases)
Produce
Average
expenditure:
includes all
purchasers
x
Average
expenditure:
excludes “0”
expenditures
y
Produce
purchase
frequency
Produce
volume
bought
Average
rank
Overall
rank
Average
expenditure
($)
Batata 1 4 2 1 2 1 1.74
Aji dulce 3 2 4 3 3 2 1.58
Cilantro 2 8 1 2 3.25 3 1.68
Calabaza 4 9 3 4 5 4 0.96
Fava beans 6 6 6 6 6 5 0.63
Pepinillo 5 10 5 5 6.25 6 0.70
Chile caribe 7 3 8 9 6.75 7 0.56
Beena 7.25 8 0.51
Calabacita 9 5 9 8 7.75 9 0.43
Verdolaga 10 1 10 10 7.75 10 0.10
z
Purchasers are respondents that indicated they have purchased ethnic fruits and vegetables within the past
12 months. Includes all purchasers’ responses (whether the respondent purchased a particular item or not; i.e.
includes purchases reported as “0”).
y
Includes only the purchasers who purchased the corresponding item (such that the number of purchasers varies
by item; i.e. excludes purchases reported as “0” for a given item).
Table 7. The 28 nal crops.
Ethnic group Plot type Ethnic crop name Ethnic group Plot type Ethnic crop name
Chinese Research Baby pak choy Mexican Research Anaheim pepper
Oriental eggplant Chili jalapeno
Smooth luffa Tomatillo
Demo Napa cabbage Demo Calabacita
Oriental spinach Chili pablano/ancho
Pak choy Chili serrano
Snow peas Tatuma
Asian Indian Research Bottle gourd Puerto Rican Research Aji dulce
Eggplant (raavayya) Berenjena
Ridged gourd Pepinillo/bitter gourd
Demo Cluster beans Demo Batata
Eggplant (bharta) Calabaza/tropical pumpkin
Fenugreek leaves Chile caribe
Mint leaves (spearmint)

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Issues in New Crops and New Uses
Table 8. The “ 100+” crops originally considered (nal selections for trials in bold print).
Crop name Scientic name Family
Aji dulce Capsicum chinense Solanaceae
Alligator pear/christophone/summer squash
Cucurbita sechium edule
Cucurbitaceae
Amaranth: var. red, green, African,
Amaranthus spp.
Amaranthaceae
Angled luffa/ridged gourd/Chinese okra/
California okra
Luffa acutangular Cucurbitaceae
Annatto/achiote
Bixa orellana
Bixaceae
Avocado
Persea americana
Lauraceae
Baby bananas/ninos/burro/manzano
Musa sapientum
Musaceae
Baby corn, corn husk
Zea mays
Graminae
Bamboo shoot
Phyllostachys dulcis
Graminae
Bananas
Musa paradisiaca
Musaceae
Basil
Ocimum basilicum
Labiatae
Batata/tropical sweet potato Ipomoea batatas Convulvulaceae
Beans: var. black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans,
red beans
Phaseolus vulgaris
Leguminosae
Bitter melon/bitter gourd/pepinillo Mormordica balsamina,
M. charantia
Cucurbitaceae
Bottle gourd, calabash gourd Lagenaria siceraria Cucurbitaceae
Breadfruit
Artocarpus altilis
Moraceae
Bunching onion/Oriental green onion, Chinese leek
Allium spp.
Alliaceae
Cactus pads
Opuntia humifusa, O. vulgaris
Cactaceae
Calabacita/zucchini & calabaza/winter squash Cucurbita maxima = C. moschata Cucurbitaceae
Cassava/yuca/manioc
Manihot esculenta
Euphorbiaceae
Celery/apio
Apium graveolens var. dulce
Umbelliferae
Chickpeas
Cicer arietinum
Leguminosae
Chili: var. Anaheim/New Mexico, ancho/poblano,
banana pepper, caribe, cubanelle, habanero,
jalapeno, serrano, cherry pepper, oriental
sweet, etc.
Capsicum annuum Solanaceae
Chili: var. manzano, peron, rocoto
Capsicum pubescens
Solanaceae
Chinese cabbage: var. baby pak choy/choi (= baby
bok choy/choi), napa cabbage, pak (or bok) ,
choy/ choi, yu choi/choy, edible rape, etc.
Brassica rapa Cruciferae
Chinese kale
Brassica oleracea alboglabra
Cruciferae
Chinese mustard/Oriental mustard
Conringia orientalis
Cruciferae
Chinese peas/snow peas Pisum sativum Leguminosae
Cilantro/coriander/cilantrillo Coriandrum sativum Umbelliferae
Cluster beans
Cyamopsis tetragonoloba
Fabaceae
Culantro
Eryngium foetidum
Umbelliferae
Edamame
Glycine max
Leguminosae
Edible burdock
Arctium lappa
Asteraceae
Eggplant/berenjena/aubergine/ garden egg: var.
Oriental, bharta, raavayya, bitterball, pushpa,
etc.
Solanum melongena Solanaceae

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Botanicals and Medicinals
Table 8. The “ 100+” crops originally considered (nal selections for trials in bold print).
Crop name Scientic name Family
Fava beans
Vicia faba
Leguminosae
Fenugreek leaves Trigonella foenum-graecum Leguminosae
Flowering Chinese cabbage
Brassica parachinensis
Cruciferae
Garland chrysanthemum
Brassica rapa pekinensis
Cruciferae
Hon-tsai-tai
Brassica spp.
Cruciferae
Jicama/Mexican potato
Pachyrhizus tuberosus
Leguminosae
Jute (vegetable)
Corchurus olitorius
Malvaceae
Key lime
Citrus aurantifolia
Rutaceae
Kohlrabi
Brassica oleracea
Cruciferae
Komatsuna/Japanese mustard spinach
Brassica rapa perviridis
Cruciferae
Lablab bean/hyacinth bean
Lablab purpureus
Leguminosae
Lamb’s quarters/epazote
Chenopodium ambrosioides
Chenopodiaceae
Malabar spinach
Basella alba
Basellaceae
Mango (fruit)
Mangifera indica
Anacardiaceae
Mango (seed)
Bromus mango
Graminae
Mexican garlic
Leucaena esculenta
Fabaceae
Mexican papaya
Carica papaya
Caricaceae
Mung bean
Vigna radiata = Phaseolus aureus
Leguminoceae
Mushroom (button)
Agaricus bisporus
Agaricaceae
Mushroom (amanita)
Amanita velosa
Amanitaceae
Okra
Abelmoschus esculentus
Malvaceae
Oriental celery
Apium graveolens
Umbelliferae
Oriental cucumber
Cucumis sativus
Cucurbitaceae
Oriental melon
Cucumis sp.
Cucurbitaceae
Oriental root radish
Raphanus sativus
Cruciferae
Oriental spinach
Spinacea oleracea
Chenopodiaceae
Oriental squash Cucurbita argyrosperma Cucurbitaceae
Peppermint
Mentha × piperita ofcinalis
Labiatae
Perilla/shiso
Perilla frutescens
Labiatae
Pickling melon
Cucumis melo conomon
Cucurbitaceae
Pineapple guava/Brazilian guava
Feijoa sellowiana
Myrtaceae
Plantain
Musa sapientum
Musaceae
Root turnip/leafy turnip
Brassica rapa
Cruciferae
Roselle
Hibiscus sabdariffa
Malvaceae
Smooth luffa/Sponge gourd/edible luffa Luffa aegyptiaca Cucurbitaceae
Snake gourd
Trichosanthes cucumerina anguina
Cucurbitaceae
Spearmint Mentha spicata Labiatae
Sugarcane
Saccharum ofcinarum
Graminae
Tamarind
Tamarindus indica
Fabaceae
Taro/malanga/yautia/elephant ear
Xanthosoma saggitifolium
Araceae
Tomatillo/Mexican green tomato/Mexican husk
tomato
Physalis philadelphica =
P. ixocarpa
Solanaceae
Tomato
Lycopersicon esculentum
Solanaceae

272
Issues in New Crops and New Uses
Table 8. The “ 100+” crops originally considered (nal selections for trials in bold print).
Crop name Scientic name Family
Tropical guava
Psidium guajava
Myrtaceae
Tatuma/white Mexican squash Cucurbita sp. Cucurbitaceae
Verdolaga/purslane
Portulaca oleracea
Portulacaceae
Wasabi/Japanese horseradish
Wasabia japonica
Cruciferae
White choy sum (= Pak/bok choi)
Brassica chinensis or
B. campestris
Cruciferae
White pumpkin
Cucurbita sp.
Cucurbitaceae
White sapote
Casimiroa edulis
Rutaceae
Winter melon/fuzzy melon
Benincasa hispida
Cucurbitaceae
Yardlong bean
Vigna unguiculata sesquipedalis
Leguminosae
Prioritize Production Research (28 Crops)
To select appropriate crops for production per ethnicity special consideration was given to logistical con-
cerns and 7 (re-prioritized) crops from each ethnicity were recommended for production research (Table 7; the
binomials and families for the original list of “100+” crops considered, consisting of roughly 40 genera and
species, is shown in Table 8).
Develop Production Plot Plans
Identify Top Priority Crops per Ethnicity for Replicated Trials. Within the 7 crop selections per ethnic group,
3 from each ethnicity were selected for replicated plots. Logistical concerns (space and budget constraints)
drove decisions to replicate crops that were of similar species and/or production systems. Therefore, species
with cross-ethnic demand were given higher priority for research (replication) selection purposes, to optimize
the research benets (maximize the research return on investment). As such, cucurbits (specically gourds),
eggplants (of various ethnic cultivars), and capsicum peppers were given high priority and the resulting research
crops included 4 cucurbits, 3 eggplants, and 3 peppers. In addition, baby pak choy and tomatillo were included
for their high survey demand, where high priority options were exhausted. (Additional pepper cultivars were
available from the Mexican crop list, but one chili and one non-chili were included for replicated plots and this
was deemed sufcient. Therefore tomatillo was chosen in lieu of a third pepper cultivar). 3.
The remaining 4 (of 7) production crop selections from each ethnic group were recommended for dem-
onstration (demo) plots. This resulted in 12 research crops and 16 demo crops for a total of 28 production plots
(3 research crops × 4 ethnic groups = 12 research plots; likewise 4 demonstration crops × 4 ethnic groups = 16
demo plots).
Develop Research and Demonstration Crop Plot Plans. Additional logistical concerns (irrigation, seed availability,
supplies), combined with seasonal factors, may cause slight deviations in the eld plans across sites between
years (a shift between crops for research and demonstration crops or further variety substitution, due to lack of
seed availability and/or cross-pollination concerns). A recommended plot plan, inclusive of additional space
for cooperator’s choice crops, was developed for use by individual participating site planners in order to provide
a pragmatic eld design that would still logically permit the statistical inclusion of data across locations for
comparative analyses.

273
Botanicals and Medicinals
ETHNIC CROP PRODUCTION AND RESEARCH PROGRAM
After completing the rst phase of the ethnic produce project related to consumer survey results, the second
phase focused on crop production research and demonstration. The four primary objectives of this phase were to:
(1) establish a common set of eld demonstration and research plots in each collaborating state; (2) demonstrate
and evaluate a variety of ethnic crops grown at each site; (3) conduct case-studies of specialty-ethnic produce
growers; and (4) communicate ethnic crop production information to advisors and growers via presentations,
tours, websites, fact sheets, articles, and other forms of informational literature.
Demonstration and Research Plot Procedures
For the 2006/2007 trials, 4 demonstration crops and 3 research crops selected on previously described
criteria were established at 6 sites located in three states along the East Coast: 2 in Florida, 1 in Massachusetts,
and 3 in New Jersey.
Crop quality and yield parameters were measured and evaluated statistically for each site, with specic
regard for cost factors, seasonal/monthly yield variations, and seed availability (imports or recently developed
hybrids) in order to make recommendations for geographic sequencing of production, by month/season. The
goal is to sustain a 12 month production supply in the Eastern United States in a cooperative venture to ward
off the threat of imports into the East Coast to exploit local comparative advantages (such as grower proximity-
to-market) and to assess the ability to increase local supply during peak demand periods (such as holidays).
Test Design, Trial Implementation and Evaluation Parameters
Summer 2006 demonstration and research trials were established by collaborators in Massachusetts and
New Jersey on research farms. The trials included several commercially available cultivars of the selected
crops blocked by ethnic market, crop type, and/or production system. Crop quality and yield parameters were
measured and evaluated statistically to determine suitability for commercial production. Winter production
will begin in Florida in early-2007. Special attention will be paid to variations in yield and quality of produce
as may be affected by season and geographic location. All trials will run for two seasons at each location.
The approach outlined in this paper uses a detailed market driven assessment and then custom tailors eld
production research and supportive applied studies to bolster and drive the market study. Such a model is often
discussed but rarely practiced. We propose that the approach described here is an excellent model to bridge
the gap between consumers, distributors, and growers. This method allows a more carefully and purposefully
strategic approach to new crop introduction by providing the needed research support to commercial growers
trialing new crop species and linking the research to specic consumer demands.
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Mendonca, R.U. de, M. Moreira, F. Mangan, and T. Brashear. 2006. Production and marketing of new
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Sciarappa, W. 2001. Growing ethnic vegetables with plasticulture. Vegetable Growers News. 35(4):32–33.
Sciarappa, W. 2003. Heritage crop research at Rutgers. Proc. Natl. Assoc. County Agr. Agents. July 2003. p.
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US Census. 2000. United States Department of Commerce. Washington, DC.