An Article on Interactive radio for smallholder farmer development.

Introduction

Interactive radio leverages other ICT tools to create a two- way communication exchange between radio stations and listeners (farmers).For decades now, radio has been a dominate source of information for farmers in much of Sub-Saharan Africa. Although the reach of radio varies from country to country, it is estimated that between 80 and 90 percent of households in Africa have access to a functional radio.

The liberalization of regulatory environment in several countries has further increased the number of independent and community radio stations broadcasting over the airwaves. Given the fact that adult literacy rates in Sub-Saharan Africa is just over 60 percent and that electricity in many rural communities is no-existent, battery powered radios are often the most affordable and practical way for smallholder farmers in rural communities to access information for their Agricultural production.

Advances in Information Communication Technology (ICT) has further strengthen radio as a powerful distribution channel for reaching rural smallholder farmers in Africa to meet the needs of both passive and active consumers of information via radio.

Developing an Interactive Agricultural Radio Program

The Radio remains a good platform for

farmers and other Agricultural value chain

actors to receive capacity development.

As radio often loses out to television in the battle for audience, it is essential to adopt pragmatic Baseline Quality Standards (BQS’s) in formulating a compelling radio program that effectively engages all stakeholders in order to roll out interactive activities that are educative, informative and entertaining in order to attract a wide listener population.

In developing a radio program for farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors, it is important to formulate these programs as tailor design interventions to their productivity challenges in order to make them much more impacting with a wide interactive audience.

Formulating an interactive Agricultural radio program to impact farmer and other Agricultural value chain actors will therefore require the observation of Baseline Quality Standards (BQS’s) in order to interactively engage listeners in order to achieve the desired learning objectives and outcomes.

In line with Baseline Quality Standards, the story structure of a farmer radio program should be strategically developed in response to a challenge that farmers face, a capacity development that will help curtail a challenge farmers are likely to encounter in the course of their Agricultural production or an opportunity that is of benefit to farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors.

The story structure should clearly introduce the program, the duration of broadcast and broadcast time, outline its objectives, spell out the programs short and long term expected outcomes, the content of the program with its various thematic areas, outline the synopsis of the content to be broadcast, outline a comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation strategy etc.

The development of an Agricultural radio program should involve a wide range of stakeholder’s e.g. farmers, Agro input companies, Mechanization service providers, produce buying companies, produce aggregators, financial institutions, Agricultural researchers etc.

Developed Agricultural radio programs should be broad cast in short series to ensure that the content is discussed interactively in detail in order to achieve the desired objectives and impact.

Radio formats that can be used to interactively broadcast an Agricultural radio program include: Skits, Interviews, Panels, Documentaries, Infotainment, Game Shows, Reality Shows, Straight talk etc.

The development of an Agricultural radio program should be periodically broadcast live on farm/in farming communities to enable them become much more interactive, promote interactive discussions as many farmers will have the opportunity to share their knowledge and rich experience, provide Agricultural professionals the platform to practically demonstrate and discuss the content of the Agricultural program, attract a large radio audience as an on-farm/community radio broadcast captures both the auditory and visual senses of the listener etc.

Owing to the location of most smallholder farmers in remote rural communities, Agricultural radio programs should be broadcast via community radios or commercial radio stations with wide coverage area. This will ensure that many more farmers are engaged for interactive discussions that develops their capacity for increased Agricultural production.

Broadcasting of Agricultural radio programs in local languages remains essential in reaching many farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa owing to their inability to understand and share their rich knowledge and experience in foreign languages e.g. English, French etc. The broadcast of Agricultural radio programs in local languages will therefore attract a wider audience for interactive discussions in order to achieve the desired objectives and impact.

In a bid to attract a wider audience, the content of an Agricultural program can be translated and uploaded in to mobile applications e.g. the MTN Radio in Ghana which can be accessed by many farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors; and also raise funds to promote the delivery of Agricultural extension service.

This ICT4Ag innovation will ensure that farmers have access to demand driven Agricultural extension service as they are able to access, record and playback their favorite Agricultural programs in order to enhance their Capacity development for increased Agricultural production.

Mobile  technology can be effectively

integrated with traditional radio to
enhance farmer capacity development.

The integration  of ICT4Ag innovations into traditional radio broadcast will contribute significantly in actively engaging the youth in to Agriculture, as they are very much attracted to ICT innovations that offer them regular access to Agricultural Advisory Service in order to enable them judiciously utilize the factors of production for increased Agricultural productivity.

Audio quality is an essential Baseline Quality Standard in the development of an interactive Agricultural radio program, as it enhances the quality of the program. The audio should therefore be completely audible with no distracting background noise, sound effect and music should be used in moderation/when appropriate. All subjects (panelist) should speak clearly and in tones appropriate to the emotions being conveyed.

Furthermore, message clarity is an essential Baseline Quality Standard in the development of an Agricultural radio program that ensures that the objectives of the program are well defined and not abstract. Adhering to message clarity as a Baseline Quality Standard will thus ensure that the Agricultural program clearly presents to listeners the content of the program in order to achieve its desired objectives and impact.

As a Baseline Quality Standard (BQS) the Agricultural program should be able to interactively engage farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors; thus capturing their attention and engage their thinking for further dialogue. The ability of an Agricultural program to actively engage and sustain its audience is a measure of its ability to achieve its said objectives and learning outcomes.

In accordance to the Baseline Quality Standards, the development of an Agricultural radio program should have a well structured learning outcome. This will assist management of a radio program effectively assess how well the program achieves its desired learning objectives.

The learning outcome of any Agricultural radio program should be clearly outline in every thematic area of the programs content; and it is essential that farmers do not hold any ambiguity in understanding the learning objectives and outcomes of the program.

Although phoning in to radio programs are generally employed to access the level of engagement, an Agricultural radio program that is developed together with various stakeholders and with a strategic broadcast plan will contribute significantly in engaging a wide audience for interactive discussions; in order to develop the capacity of listeners for increased Agricultural production.

Agricultural organizations should therefore endeavor to partner with radio stations in order to develop Agricultural radio programs that are strategically designed to interactively engage farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors to effectively develop their capacity for increased Agricultural production.

Adhering to Baseline Quality Standards (BQS’s) in the development of Agricultural radio programs is therefore important in ensuring the broadcast of interactive and impact oriented programs that promotes accelerated Agricultural development and a secured food security in Africa and the world at large.