This initiative draws on both interpersonal connections and information and communication technologies (ICTs) to reach out to farmers with information deemed important for their livelihoods. The process unfolds as follows: First, a village is selected by Doordarshan, in consultation and coordination with the Department of Agriculture of a province, to hold a live agricultural seminar on a specific date. Representative farmers (numbering 250 to 300) from the entire province then assemble in a predetermined village on a pre-fixed date and time; they bring along crop samples infested with pests and diseases, and other field problems, to be discussed and solved by a panel of 12-15 subject matter specialists (SMS). These personnel, who are typically affiliated with the provincial university's agricultural department, travel to each village with the support of Department of Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Fisheries, etc. A mobile outside broadcasting (OB) van and digital satellite news gathering (DGSNG) equipment, as well as cameras and generator sets, are transported and installed at the venue. The proceedings of the question-and-answer session in each village are telecast live by Doordarshan through its provincial network of 55 stations in each respective regional language, with the goal of facilitating viewing of interactive session between farmers and experts with farmers who have access to television but who cannot attend the sessions. Where possible, an exhibition is also arranged by the respective State Department of Agriculture so that farmers can access additional information about new varieties of crops and new technologies after the live crop seminar has concluded.

Television is also being used to provide various daily bulletins, such as a daily bulletin on differential market rates of agricultural commodities (telecast on the national channel and on several regional channels). Organisers claim that this information educates farmers about the better renumerative price of commodities, as compared to the price information typically received at a nearby mandis (wholesale market). In addition, daily agricultural news bulletins are broadcast in an effort to inform farmers about the Government's agricultural policies, research developments in agriculture, exports of agricultural
commodities, weather and agro-meteorological advisories, success stories, and so on.

With a view to addressing area-specific information needs of farmers, Doordarshan is drawing on the concept of "narrowcasting" (click here for a definition from Wikipedia). They have implemented this strategy through 180 transmitters in approximately 140 districts of the country. The TV programmes are produced from 36 TV centres of the public broadcaster of India for, on average, a cluster of 5 transmitters. The idea is that, in the event of any special situational need, even area-specific TV programmes could be produced to reach farmers within the purview of a single transmitter. For instance, following the sudden flood in Kohlapur and Sangli districts (in the state of Maharashtra) in August 2006, the narrowcasting centre at Pune produced programmes to meet the specific needs of farmers in each flood-affected area.

Doordarshan is also carrying out sustained campaigns that use short films to make India's farmers aware of different interventions and initiatives on agriculture, technological priorities, and related issues. The films are regularly telecast on the national channel, as well as in narrowcast mode.

Doordarshan has also instituted an interactive weekly live phone-in programme whose purpose is to provide an "instant solution" to farmers' field problems every week on a fixed day and time. During the live telecasts, farmers ask questions about field problems and SMS reply. In some areas of India, this televised exchange is arranged twice per week. Organisers explain that there is a call centre service for farmers, as well, but that those replies are provided by recent agricultural graduates (with no prior experience); furthermore, some farmers are shy when it comes to using the phone to communicate. The televised programme, it is thought, enables many farmers to benefit from the information shared through the calls of a few confident farmers. In concert with this call-in programme, replies to previous days' questions are being scrolled during the telecast of the agricultural TV programmes from select Doordarshan stations.

The internet is being used as a tool to disseminate information about the programming described above; click here to access the project's portal which includes background information about the initiative and programme schedule (producers of the TV programmes upload the programme details on the respective page of the portal for viewing by farmers; various programming guides are also offered here for their use). The website also features contact details to facilitate interaction between farmers and appropriate SMS, as well as opportunities for farmers to give feedback and offer suggestions.

Natural Resource Management, Food Security, Economic Development.