Agriculture

This summary is part of a research project carried out between March and October 2006 in support of the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD), one of The Communication Initiative (The CI)'s partners.

According to Sibalwa, high priority has been given to agricultural development in Zambia. Since independence, it has been advocated that stimulating production in the rural sector and raising rural incomes can widen Zambia’s economic base. The main problem, however, has been how to disseminate agricultural information to the large, widely dispersed rural population. Extension services have not been as effective as desired in addressing this issue because of transport difficulties, inadequate funding and shortage of extension staff.

It was not until 1966, after a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Mission on Agriculture Broadcasting visited Zambia, that a solution was devised to deal with this problem. The UNESCO Mission recommended that the radio be utilised to disseminate agricultural knowledge, information, and skills to rural subsistence farmers. The Radio Farm Forum (RFF) was introduced as a pilot project in 1967, starting with the Northern Province. Today, the National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (MAFF) broadcasts eight agricultural information programmes on radio in both English and in seven Zambian languages.

The primary objective of the programme is to communicate agricultural news and technical information, provided by the technical experts based at the MAFF, to the peasant farmers in remote rural areas. The programme’s original educational objectives have remained consistent and relevant throughout the years and include the ability by listeners to correctly apply the technical information received, correctly identify and describe some of the common crop and animal diseases and pests, and effectively advise other farmers on good farming practices.

There are three types of RFF groups: Government RFF groups, Self-help RFF groups, and Non-governmental assisted RFF groups. The naming of these groups is to simply identify who the providers of the radio equipment and technical assistance are. Each group is comprised of 15 small scale farmer members and structured with chairpersons, secretaries and treasurers. According to this case study, there are about 1,440 Radio Farm Forums in the country.

The RFF programme is broadcasted weekly for 30 minutes in a number of local languages and provides a forum for the discussion of farming techniques, problems, and the implementation of solutions to these problems. While the programme is running, each of the literate members takes notes. After the broadcast the members compare notes and discuss what they have heard and how they are going to put it into practice.

The MAFF develops the relevant materials and locally applicable content for the programme and encourages two-way communication. Discussion reports produced by RFF groups in response to the programme are generally sent to NAIS headquarters in Lusaka and a copy is sent to the Provincial Agricultural Information Officer through the District Agricultural Information Officer. Any questions that are raised by RFF groups are also sent to NAIS headquarters and programme producers answer them during their next radio programme.

The following outcomes have been observed:

• 52.5 percent of the 240 farmers interviewed for this case study said that they had learnt new methods of farming and had increased their yields since they joined the RFF groups;
  
  • Newly acquired skills included soil conservation, agro-forestry, water ponding, using the donkey as a draught animal, the construction of more durable crop storage barns, building contour ridges, planting vativa grass on the ridges to strengthen and protect them, planting nitrogen-fixing trees and shrubs, practising crop rotation and winter ploughing, and the construction of cement-plastered barns to protect their maize from the larger grain boner (LGB).

The RFF programme has led to change in agricultural practices and behaviour:

• Slash and burn techniques are now seen as outdated by rural communities involved with the RFF programme;
• RFF programme information on the importance of particular crops, which used to be considered as “women’s crops”, has changed farmers’ behaviour and attitudes towards cultivating groundnuts, soybeans, and local beans. These are cash crops that are of great importance in crop rotation;
• Farmers have also begun to appreciate the need to plant hybrid certified seed because of what they learnt through the RFF programme;
• Farmers have changed their traditional views on using the donkey as a farm draught animal and have come to understand the importance of having a farm animal that is much more resistant than any other to most of the diseases that afflict livestock;
• Farmers have been introduced to growing drought-resistant crops in drought-prone areas, such as sorghum, millet, and cassava.
• The RFF programme has also led to a change in gender practices and behaviours. Recognising that their wives may benefit from the RFF programme, women were given permission to listen to and practice what they learnt from the programme, which has imbued them with a sense of importance in family and community development.

The following challenges were noted:

• Financial sustainability of RFF groups - A change in government policy regarding provision of free radio sets, batteries, stationery, and funding for basic accommodation and transportation has proved challenging for RFF group sustainability;
• RFF programme feedback - It has not been possible to assess the implementation success of radio information disseminated in areas where there is no regular extension worker;
• Poor radio reception in some parts of the country - Radio reception in remote areas of Zambia is poor due to the low-wave output from the ZNBC transmitters. Regional solutions to the problem have not been launched because of lack of funds.

Key factors leading to the success of the project:

• Development of locally relevant and applicable content - 91 percent of RFF group members interviewed for this case study said that the content of the RFF programme was relevant for small-scale farmers;
• Delivery of RFF programmes in local languages - 81 percent of respondents said that it was easy to follow the discussions;
• Government support - The MAFF financially supports air time on ZNBC radio and facilitates the efforts of the NAIS in recording, producing and transmitting the radio programmes;
• Introduction of new technology - Introducing free-play radio sets has enabled farmers to do away with batteries, which were both commercially and financially difficult to access.

The following lessons have been gleaned:

• Since women’s participation in the RFF groups is increasing, broadcasting timing for the programme should accommodate women’s workloads;
• Sufficient funding should be provided so that the programme can continue running and serving the farmers more efficiently and more effectively;
• An effective crop marketing system is necessary for rural small-scale farmers;
• Seminars, tours of other districts and provinces, and sufficient informative print materials should be provided to RFF group members;
• RFF group members should be provided with seasonal loans and early delivery of inputs;
• It is necessary to develop a mechanism that provides agricultural inputs to farmers in a timely manner so that they are able to practice what they have learnt through the programme;
• Enhanced coordination is necessary between the Department or Section involved in the practical implementation of the programme and the Department or Section producing the programme, which would include developing more effective relations between Agricultural Information Officers and Agricultural Extension Officers in order to maximise the use of their skills to the benefit of the farmers.