Zambia turns on the media
31 January 2011
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As the RIU report in September 2010 showed, RIU Zambia had been working to improve the lot of farmers in Chinsali and around the Chambeshi flood plains. In particular they were supporting efforts aimed at finding viable alternatives to commercial charcoal burning and the chitemene (slash and burn) system of farming, both of which are very destructive.
On 10 and 17 December 2010, Victor Makasa, the RIU Zambia Country Coordinator and National Programme Officer appeared on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation to explain how rice enterprises were being used to overcome this deforestation.
This national media exposure complemented RIU Zambia's use of community media as a key part of its stakeholder's interactive innovation forum (SIIF). In total 54 community radio programmes dealing with conservation agriculture (an alternative farming system based on minimal tillage) were broadcast between October and December 2010.These programmes were split between vernacular and English. There were 26 recorded factual programmes; 20 drama episodes and eight phone-in or interactive programmes.
The response from farmer listenership has been reported to be overwhelming, especially for vernacular, drama and interactive programmes. An estimated 54,000 farmer households (responsible for the livelihoods of over 300,000 people) have been reached through these innovative radio programmes.
Namianga Christian Radio in Kalomo, Radio Explorer in Petauke and Radio Mo-sio-tunia (in Kalomo, Petauke and Kazungula districts) participated in producing and broadcasting the conservation agriculture programmes for small-scale farmers. The programme featured peer advocacy from successful conservation agriculture farmers and helped recruit new members for the stakeholder's interactive forums.
Because RIU Zambia had effectively brokered relationships between the community media companies and the conservation agriculture stakeholders and the radio stations - they all benefited. Radio stations got good content and the conservation agriculture stakeholder got a conduit for their information.
Sky FM in Monze produced and broadcast drama programmes which featured conservation agriculture. Six of the radio dramas were sponsored by the MRI Seed Company.
Victor Makasa, the RIU Zambia Country Coordinator, said:
The conservation agriculture topics covered included:
31 January 2011
Tweet
As the RIU report in September 2010 showed, RIU Zambia had been working to improve the lot of farmers in Chinsali and around the Chambeshi flood plains. In particular they were supporting efforts aimed at finding viable alternatives to commercial charcoal burning and the chitemene (slash and burn) system of farming, both of which are very destructive.
On 10 and 17 December 2010, Victor Makasa, the RIU Zambia Country Coordinator and National Programme Officer appeared on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation to explain how rice enterprises were being used to overcome this deforestation.
This national media exposure complemented RIU Zambia's use of community media as a key part of its stakeholder's interactive innovation forum (SIIF). In total 54 community radio programmes dealing with conservation agriculture (an alternative farming system based on minimal tillage) were broadcast between October and December 2010.These programmes were split between vernacular and English. There were 26 recorded factual programmes; 20 drama episodes and eight phone-in or interactive programmes.
The response from farmer listenership has been reported to be overwhelming, especially for vernacular, drama and interactive programmes. An estimated 54,000 farmer households (responsible for the livelihoods of over 300,000 people) have been reached through these innovative radio programmes.
Namianga Christian Radio in Kalomo, Radio Explorer in Petauke and Radio Mo-sio-tunia (in Kalomo, Petauke and Kazungula districts) participated in producing and broadcasting the conservation agriculture programmes for small-scale farmers. The programme featured peer advocacy from successful conservation agriculture farmers and helped recruit new members for the stakeholder's interactive forums.
Because RIU Zambia had effectively brokered relationships between the community media companies and the conservation agriculture stakeholders and the radio stations - they all benefited. Radio stations got good content and the conservation agriculture stakeholder got a conduit for their information.
Sky FM in Monze produced and broadcast drama programmes which featured conservation agriculture. Six of the radio dramas were sponsored by the MRI Seed Company.
Victor Makasa, the RIU Zambia Country Coordinator, said:
"The sponsorship of our community radio programmes by MRI Seed Company underscores the fact that the private sector could be further harnessed to support conservation agriculture whilst promoting their products. This approach has been incorporated into the RIU exit strategy as one of the pathways to sustainability."Sky FM also introduced the Conservation Agriculture News slot on their news menu to enhance the dissemination of information.
The conservation agriculture topics covered included:
- land preparation
- use of conservation agriculture equipment (rippers)
- access to inputs - seed/chemical/fertilizer etc.
- use/handling of inputs
- planting
- weed control and general crop management
- weather and climate change
- post-harvest handling of various types of crops.
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