Extension Study of The Desires of Local and Imported Chicken Consumers in The City of Kut in Iraq دراسة ارشادية لرغبات مستهلكي الدجاج المحلي والمستورد في مدينة الكوت بالعراق

Poultry meat is a complete source of protein, iron and minerals, and is also cheaper than red meat. In recent years, the poultry meat market in Iraq has been developing significantly and with this large production and unlimited access to fresh poultry meat in addition to the increasing health care, the consumer is looking for products that... It is characterized by very good quality. The study aimed to compare consumers' desires for local and imported chicken in the city of Kut. The criteria that consumers use when purchasing it based on surveys carried out on 150 respondents. This study belongs to the descriptive studies that describe the desires of consumers for local and imported chicken in the city of Kut. The results indicated that most of the people surveyed consumed local chicken meat with a rate of (72.7%), and that consumers preferred the whole carcass at a rate of (91%). Consumers are guided first and foremost by the freshness of the meat, then its price, as (80%) of the respondents chose chicken for its appropriate price, and (66.35%) of them chose a specific weight that suits them to purchase a chicken carcass. Also, (94.4%) of the respondents chose frozen chicken based on taste and smell. The results also indicated that almost half of the respondents preferred to buy live chicken, while the percentage of those who preferred to buy frozen chicken was (41.3%), provided that it be of local origin. Buying high-quality poultry meat, the respondents first expect higher health safety, then higher nutritional value and better palatability when buying poultry meat, while (64.9%) of the respondents indicated the importance of the expiration date affixed to the frozen chicken carcass. The most important recommendations included working to improve local productivity in the poultry industry that competes with imported ones. As well as introducing producers to safety controls and standards in accordance with international recommendations through agricultural extension programs directed to them