Role of Rural Radio in Agricultural and Rural Development Translating Agricultural Research Information into Messages for Farm Audiences

This paper looks at the role of radio in agriculture and rural development. It states that if used in conjunction with other modes of promoting agriculture and development, radio can play an effective role in promoting social change. Using examples from Uganda, the paper aims to demonstrate the linkages between rural radio, agriculture and rural development and offers recommendations on how to increase the effectiveness of radio in rural development.

It states that planned radio campaigns complemented by face-to-face advice and extension, together with administrative and material support can contribute towards desirable change. However it makes the point that it is important not to overrate the value of broadcasting or cassette based programmes in the development process and to realise that there is a limit to transmitting demonstrative knowledge through the radio medium. The highest impact which can be obtained is an awareness and understanding of problems and instilling possible inspiration and motivation to take action. Thereafter, according to this paper, the extension workers of development agencies must take over to ensure positive results.

The document makes the following recommendations:

• Public participation in management of regional radio stations or production centres should be encouraged. This would ease pressure on national public broadcasters and make programming more relevant to local people.
• Establishment of farmer driven radio listenership groups, where farmers identify their needs, and programmes are made for them. These programmes are then listened to, discussed upon and recommendations are made for community action.
• Research messages should be translated into the simplest language possible and translated to the prevalent languages. The radio programmes should be backed up by other forms of communication/media.
• Public broadcasters should become independent of government in terms of management and programming so that they can seek other sources of funding for community programmes and be more adaptive to their audiences' requirements.
• Broadcasting regulations need to include a definition of community broadcasting, to address its particular role and to develop clear mechanisms for financial support of set up and on-going costs.
• Participatory management systems must be established to ensure both professionalism and continued involvement of the community in production and management of their packages.
• There is need to create farm broadcasting units at community level i.e. these units work on the messages for a particular region, community or village and the composition should have broadcasting expertise, extension liaison skills and language and policy experience. These units would then distribute packages to the end users.
• From the time research is conducted, moved to zonal research centres, tried out and finally distributed to users, communication is necessary so that by the time the intended user gets the product, he is fully aware of the mechanism and its implementation.
• Farmers should be involved as much as possible in all activities so that they have a sense of ownership. In order to enhance communication activities and for the farmers to be fully involved, it is necessary to train the farmers themselves in communication skills so that they can actively participate in the transfer of knowledge and technologies.
• The field extension workers also need to be trained in basic broadcasting and communication skills so that they can organise radio recordings at their level and document important messages for farmers. These recordings can then be distributed to remote areas that are not easily accessed by extension workers.