Consumers’ Familiarity and Use of Natural Health Products

Many consumers are familiar with herbs but are consumers familiar with products produced out of herbs? Even though WHO (2001) states that in Africa, approximately 80% of the population takes some form of herbal remedies; the type of herbal product used for the herbal remedy is unknown. Investors in the herbal industry are aware of the industry’s lucrativeness but the target market and product type to concentrate on become a problem. It is confusing how a lucrative business attracts less investors. It would be interesting to investigate into consumers’ familiarity and use of natural health products since it has the potential of creating jobs in the agribusiness sector. Kumasi and Accra metropolitan were the target area because they are representative of Ghana due to high migration of people from the various regions to these metropolitans. The two-stage sampling technique was used with a total sample size of three hundred and eighty-five (385). More than twice of consumers are familiar and have used herbal medicine than herbal food supplement. For herbal medicine, herbal mixture and herbal cream is widely used than herbal capsules. The researcher recommends that investors and entrepreneurs should focus more on herbal medicine than herbal food supplement since many consumers are familiar and have used herbal medicine. Lastly, the herbal industry should target the older generation rather than the younger generation.