Role of Farm and Home Radio Programme in the Development of Agriculture

Maa. Thamizhpparithi*

Dr.R.Subramani**

Abstract

       Broadcasting started in India in 1927 with two privately owned transmitters at Mumbai and Calcutta. All India Radio came in to existence in1936 and came to be known as ‘Akashvani’ form 1957. The phenomenal growth achieved by A.I.R. Farm broadcasts played a vital role in the green revolution in Tamil Nadu in the sixties. Farm and Home Unit of All India Radio, Chennai was inaugurated on 1977. The Unit was started with a view to serve the farming community by motivating them through sustained broadcasts, to adopt and practice scientific methods of cultivation, for increasing Food Production and Rural Economic Development. Broadcasting scenario has distinctly changed from time to time with AIR stations covering nearly 99% of the country’s population. This paper would discusses the need of farm and home radio programme for the agriculture development and suggests way to develop the programme more effectively

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Introduction

       Broadcasts provide the first hand information to the Farmers about new crops, latest research, Water management pest management and other new technologies. It acts as a Connecting link between Farmers, Departmental officials & Scientists Provided that Radio support to the various schemes taken up by the Governments from time to time. Programme contributes in the promotion of Agriculture Food Production and development of Agricultural economy in the state. Broadcasts Lab to Land programme educates the poorest of the poor systematically on various aspects of Agricultural Science & Allied subjects. It plays an active role in promoting progress in the areas of Green, White, and Blue & Red Revolutions. Microphone travels to the nook and corner of villages and unreachable tribal villages.

       Total Duration of Farm & Home Broadcasts in AIR per month is 31’20”. Hardcore Subjects 23’50” Generalized Topics (Softcore) 7’30. Daily broadcast schedule 6.35 am to 6.45 am - 10mys -Uzhavargalukkana Seidhigal (News for Farmers, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday) , 6.35 am to 6.45 am – 10mts – Extension Workers Messages (Agriculture) Virivakka Paniyalarkalukku (Tuesday, Saturday),Extension Worker messages for Animal Husbandry (Every Thursday). Mannum Manamum (The Fragrance of the Native land) 6.45 pm to 7.00 pm Daily Duration : 15 minutes Sunday – Farm School on the AIR Programme, Monday – Rural Children’s Programme, Tuesday – Rural Youth Programme, Wednesday – Rural Health Programme, Thursday – Folk Music Programme, Friday – Rural Women’s Programme, Saturday – Folk Art Programme. Uzhavar Arangam Every Friday 3.00 pm to 3.15pm Duration: 15mts – Programme for Rural Women.

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       Vaayalum Valvum is one of the popular programmes in AIR and Doordharshan Daily it is on aired between 7.25 pm to 8.00 pm it is a 35mts Hardcore Programme. This programme covering following subjects - Agriculture, Horticulture, Agricultural Engineering, Seed Certification, Department of Sugar, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Forestry & Environment, Sericulture, Co-operation, Save Grain Campaign, Rural Development, Department of Statistics, Department of Social Welfare, Department of Dairy.

Formats of Farm and Home Programme:

       The farm programmes are having many programme formats. Talk, interviews, discussions, dialogues, symposia, debates, farm based poetry recitations, features, radio reports, question and answer programmes, skits, quiz, jingles, farmers and experts group discussions, kavimela are the popular programmes .

Farm & Home Unit’s strategies:

       At present programmes are broadcast for duration of one hour per day which covers Agriculture and allied subjects, and the subjects are distributed according to the need to various Departments during every Quarter (Three months). The subjects for broadcast are drawn up after discussion with specialists from the concerned Departments. All AIR Stations in Tamil Nadu work in close co-operation with the Department of Agriculture and plan their programmes for the benefit of the farmers on the basis of the advice given by the officials of the Departments. Infact the quarterly plan is drawn up in consultation with officials of various Departments at District levels. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and other Research Stations in the State so that the programmes planned are Topical and useful to the

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farmers in the respective areas depending on the season and monsoon.

State Level Media Linkage Co-ordination Meeting:

       The Government of Tamil Nadu constituted a State Level Media Co-ordination Committee with the Secretary, Agriculture Department as Chairman for deciding major policy issues. Thrust areas programmes at the state level, farmer’s problems and solution are discussed along with review of the implementation status of the decisions/ programmes, recommendations. This meeting is convened by the Secretary of Agriculture once a year. Members of the Committee and All India Radio and Doordarshan Officials attend this meeting regularly.

Media Linkage Meet with Universities:

       The farm and home radio unit conducting Mass Media linkage meet in every year with the scientist of TNAU and TANUVAS and other personnel to develop an action plan on the subjects for the farm school broadcasts on AIR.

Transfer of Technology – Seminars and Exhibitions:

       Apart from the programme production the farm and home radio units are conducting seminars and exhibitions at AIR Auditorium for farmers which have immensely helped the farmers in food production. Farmers have participated and have gained knowledge and various aspects of farming. These seminars and meetings have been planned and conducted with the help of various state Government Departments and Universities. The advice and suggestions given by the experts and scientists in these seminars have been very useful to the farmers and they have been able to adopt them in their farming operations which ultimately resulted in increasing

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their production in food, Meat, Milk, Fish, Vegetables & Fruits etc.

       The Seminars which were organized and conducted at the Multi Track Recording Auditorium at AIR Chennai in recent times are: Seminar on Farming Improvisations in the New Century – Agriculture & Allied Departments, Seminar on Forests & Protection of Environment – Forest Department, Seminar on Medical & Herbal Plants, Fisheries Seminar – TANUVAS, Seminar on Tamil Nadu Women in Agriculture – Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry Seminar – TANUVAS, Farm School on the AIR Contact Classes on “Micro Irrigation” - Sikkana Pasana Muraigal –Department of Agricultural Engineering., Seminar on Horticulture and Plantation Crops –Department of Horticulture, Farm School on the AIR Contact Class – Value added Animal Bi-products) – TANUVAS. It was creating vibrant atmosphere among the farmer community

Weather Forecasts & Daily Market Rates:

       The farm and home unit broadcasts Weather Forecasts for farmers, daily market rates, and pest & disease control measures are broadcast daily by the Farm and Home Unit for the welfare of the farmers between 7.50 pm to 8.00 pm for duration of ten minutes.

Cultivations hints for the Tamil Month – Symposium:

       The farm and home unit, organizing monthly symposia for duration of 30 minutes each. The title of this programme is “Cultivation hints for the current Tamil month”. For this programme farmers and experts are invited. The farmers from each district explain their ideas on cultivation for the particular month and the expert co-ordinates this symposium focusing on various techniques in Agriculture for every Tamil

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month. This programme has been a great help to the farmers.

Farmer Participation:

       Farm and Home Units are giving great importance to the farmer participation in these programmes. In Crop yield competition, winners, elite farmers, F.D.G. Conveners, Seed farm growers, TANWA farmers have also been interviewed and have expressed their opinions about their field experiences. In addition, the farmers facilitated to visit All India Radio Station to meet the programme officer in charge of Agriculture to discuss their problems and the officer brings these problems to the notice of the concerned Departmental Heads and Scientist and seeks their help to solve the problems of the farmers. Every week farmers contacting the Farm & Home unit either in person or through letters or through telephone to get clarifications on various technical aspects of farming and they have been utilizing the knowledge gained in getting a better harvest. Regular village meetings are arranged by the Farm & Home Unit at various centers in various districts between groups of farmers and officials and scientists.

       The farmer after having listened to Farm & Home Unit’s programmes on waste land development, Integrated Pest Management, Utilization of Planticides, Agro based industries, Organic farming etc. have been following the guidelines given in the programmes and have been instrumental in preserving the environment. They have also now started making use of the new technology called “Mixed Farming”.

Meet the Farmer

       Programme Executive for Farm and Home Unit, Chennai, plans and produces the broadcast for one hour for the benefit

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of rural population. The Programme Executive of this Unit undertakes extensive tour in the various Districts, even far-reaching tribal villages in the hill areas, to meet the farmers for recoding, their experiences in their farming operations and to study their problems. They arranging meetings between the farmers and the Department officials and Scientist of various universities and Research Stations and helps them to obtain information & Clarifications from the experts to solve their problems. Farm and Home section has also conducting village level seminars and exhibitions in collaboration with Agriculture Department. In this festival, farmers took part and gained technical knowledge and expertise.

Farm School on the AIR Programme

       From the day of inauguration, this Farm & Home Units are conducting Farm School on the AIR lessons for the benefit of farmers. Each set of lessons are designed for a period of three months (13 weeks). A season-oriented topic is selected suitably for adoption by the farmers. These lessons are broadcast in co-ordination with Tamil Nadu Agricultural Department, Department of Seed Certification, Agricultural Engineering Department, TNAU and TANUVAS. The Information on the broadcast of Farm Radio School is given through Radio for the farmers to enroll themselves for listening to the broadcast of lessons.

       The farmers belonging to Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Vellore, Thiruvannamalai and Dharmapuri registered their names for this programme. At the end of each set of lessons one day training and coaching session is arranged during which clarifications on all doubts raised by the farmers are cleared by the concerned officials and experts. Certificated

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for having participated in this Farm School broadcast are also distributed to the farmers. This programme goes on air on every Wednesdays from 7.25 pm to 7.40 pm and the same lessons are re-broadcast between 6.45 pm & 7.00 pm on Sundays.

       It is to be pointed out that farmers who have participated in various Farm School broadcast have now become beacon lights in various farming activities like Turkey farming, poultry farming, organic farming & Water Management.

       The farm school broadcast has been very successful as it helps the farmers to gain the latest technical knowledge and information on various subjects and ultimately helps to develop their skill in their farming operations and to become successful farmers. The Farm & Home broadcast is greatly helping the farmers in increasing their food production and improving their living standards as off now Farm Schools Conducted 96 lessons.

Face to Face Programmes:

       Once in every month the Farm and Home Unit goes to a District and interacts with farmers of the District in order to learn and understand their problems and then it organizes a “face to face” programme with Technical experts in order to solve the problems of the farmers. This face to face programme is also recorded and broadcast every Monday at 7.25 pm.

F.M. Metro Service - Live Broadcasting- Call up for Clarifications:

       Apart from the Farm broadcast through the main channel of All India Radio, Programmes relating to Agriculture and allied subjects are also projected through the F.M. Metro

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Channel of AIR Chennai. On First, Third and Fifth Thursday of every month, Farm & Home broadcasts a specially

Live coverage’s:

       A special live coverage was made at the International Agricultural Festival “AGROFEST ‘99” organized by the Department of Agriculture & Horticulture held at Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai by Farm & Home Unit. Likewise at the International Trade Fair held at Island Grounds, a live broadcast on the scheme of Co-operative Village organized by the Co-operative Department, Government of Tamil Nadu was also relayed on FM channel by this Unit. There have also been live broadcasts from places like Aringar Anna Zoo at Vandalore.

Farm & Home Unit’s Role in Showing the Road to Success:

       Farm & Home Section playing vital role in the making the State of Tamil Nadu a model state in production of Rice, Sugarcane and Oil seeds To highlight a few examples, after listening and following the guidelines of Farm & Home broadcast Farmers of Dharmapuri District are now selling rice instead of paddy directly after harvest. Vellore and Thiruvannamalai District farmers are now producing milk based products and selling them instead of selling milk directly. The Rural Women of Tiruvallur District are now engaged in small scale production of Jam, Jelly, Phenol, Cane baskets, Vermicompost, Spirulina etc. The production and sales of agricultural based value added products have certainly improved the life style of farmers in various Districts.

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       Secretaries, Commissioners, Directors and other high officials of various Departments like Agriculture Department, Horticulture Department, seed Certification Department, Agricultural Engineering Department , Agricultural Marketing Department, Rural Development, Sericulture Department, Social Welfare Department, Forest Department, etc.,

       A major area of Internet activity worldwide has been in higher education where Internet-based courses have been rapidly introduced in the last few years. In primary and secondary education, school networking initiatives, or schoolnets, improve access to the Internet. Applications in non-formal education have also been developing, but at a much more basic level. The new models and initiatives follow a continuum between traditional models and the totally virtual ones. They imply profound changes in educational models and systems, but they must also overcome fear and resistance to change.

       Likewise, the Farm and Home Unit has been recording and broadcasting various farmer Welfare schemes due to which the farmers are able to gain knowledge about various schemes and aspects in Agriculture and benefit from them.

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CONCLUSION

       To improve the reach of the programme this programme may be broadcast (audio streaming) thorough mobile phone and internet (pod casting) and a house journal may be circulated among the stakeholders of this programme. Periodically workshops may be conducted for the farm radio listeners for the knowledge sharing and cross learning. To ensure the two-way Communication, at the end each programme there could be a space and time for listener’s interaction through phone and SMS. The farm school lessons may send on monthly basis to reduce the communication gap among the learners.

Reference books:

1. Ahuja B.N (1978) - Mass Communications, Verma Brothers, New Delhi.
2. Amit Deaai(2003)-Journalism and Mass Communications, Reference Press, New Delhi.
3. avinesh chiranjeev(2000) Digital Communication, Authors press, Delhi
4. Farm and home Programmes (2006) ,All India Radio-Chenni-4
5. Jiendra kumar sharma (2003)-Digital Broadcasting Journalism, Authors press, Delhi

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