Research Shows Flavor, Color Drive Premium Prices for Texas Tomatoes

Newswise — A new Texas A&M AgriLife Research study shows consumers are willing to pay more for flavorful, vividly colored tomatoes regardless of origin– evidence that sensory traits, not just a “local” label, drive what people value most in fresh produce.

Published in Agribusiness, the peer-reviewed study was led by Samuel Zapata, Ph.D., an associate professor in Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Agricultural Economics, based at the Texas A&M University Higher Education Center at McAllen.

The research found that taste and color preferences were the strongest predictors of willingness to pay, offering valuable insights for tomato breeding, marketing and the future competitiveness of South Texas growers.

The research supports Texas A&M AgriLife’s priorities in sustainable food systems, market-driven crop innovation and economic development for Texas growers, offering a model that could extend beyond tomatoes to other specialty crops.

“Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables in the U.S., and they can be grown in South Texas,” Zapata said. “Our goal is to help local farmers understand consumer choices – so they can produce tomatoes that meet both production needs and market demand.”

Pairing consumer taste tests with economic modeling

The study combined blind taste tests with economic analysis to measure consumer preferences for two Texas A&M-developed tomato varieties – TAMU Red and TAMU Orange – compared with a commercial tomato variety and imported tomatoes from Mexico.

More than 180 consumers in South Texas rated samples for color, flavor, texture and appearance before stating how much they would pay per pound.

Consumers who liked the color of TAMU red were willing to pay about 15 cents more per pound, while those who preferred the flavor of TAMU orange would pay about 13 cents more than for imported tomatoes.

“What surprised us was how strongly flavor drove consumer choices,” Zapata said. “Because local tomatoes can be harvested at a later ripening stage than imported ones, they develop better flavor and that creates an advantage for Texas growers.”

Zapata said the research builds on several years of AgriLife Research studies, evaluating when and how tomatoes can be grown profitably in South Texas. Earlier work identified the best planting times and production systems; this phase focused on what makes a tomato desirable to consumers.

Toward a ‘consumer-oriented breeding process’

Zapata’s team includes Carlos Avila, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences, based at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco, and Xavier Villavicencio, Ph.D., an instructional assistant professor based in McAllen.

The team hopes their findings will guide breeders toward what Zapata calls a “consumer-oriented breeding process.”

“The idea is to combine the science of breeding with what the market wants, to develop the perfect tomato, so to speak,” Zapata said.