Ethnic Crop Opportunities for Growers on the East Coast: A Demand Assessment

The rapid change in the ethnic population in the eastern coastal USA has consequences in the food and vegetable markets. As demographic profiles change, growers may wish to change their focus of food and vegetable production to capture the changes in demand. In this paper the scope of the expansion of ethnic crops in the eastern coastal USA by the growers from an economic perspective based on demand revealed by a survey is examined. It gives us an idea and understanding of the demand for ethnic crops by four ethnic groups: Chinese, Asian Indians, Mexicans, and Hispanics. In this report the differences and similarities with respect to crop selection and spending patterns are summarized. Results reported have important implications for the development of ethnic crop production locally.