By HAPPY MULOLANI
Radio is highly
considered as an important tool to reach out to masses. On this basis, the
Ministry of Agriculture through its information wing the National Agricultural
Information Services (NAIS) has over years been utilizing various radio
stations to disseminate agriculture, technical information and innovations to
farmers dotted across the 10 provinces of Zambia.
NAIS was birthed in 1966
as Rural Information Services under the Ministry of Agriculture. This was upon
the realization that not all areas had extension staff to service farming
communities in their agriculture practices. As a result, NAIS would complement the
extension services by transmitting agriculture radio programmes through the
National Broadcaster, Zambia National Broadcasting Services (ZNBC) in the seven
languages which include; English, Luvale, Kaonde, Lozi, Bemba, Nyanja and
Tonga.
While these programmes
reached farmers in far flung areas and enriched their farming enterprises, it
came at a cost to the Ministry of Agriculture. With the passage of time, it
became very unsustainable for the Ministry to meet the operational costs to broadcast
these informative programmes. This presented an opportunity to the Ministry to
think of a sustainable way of ensuring farmers were still kept abreast with
up-to-date information on agriculture value chains.
In an effort to strengthen
the unit’s mandate of disseminating timely agriculture and technical
information to the farming communities countrywide, NAIS has set-up its own
radio station called Lima Radio 106.9FM in a bid to promote increased
production, nutrition and increased income. Ideally, radio is deemed to be one
of the most accessible medium to reach out to many people as it is affordable
and also portable. Thus, the Ministry of Agriculture envisions to complement
its already burdened extension service to reach out to farmers with technical
and agriculture information meant to empower them.
Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary Green
Mbozi underscores the importance of radio and its relevance to the respective
farming community in the country.
Mr Mbozi explains that
radio is a powerful tool and is useful to empower farmers with key useful
information to enhance various agriculture value chains.
He says there is need for
the Ministry of Agriculture to augment radio with farmers as a way of
complementing extension services. The liberalisation of the airwaves in the
early 2000s has not only leveraged the increased number of radio stations but
is also a milestone for the Ministry of Agriculture to achieve its mandate.
“The Ministry of
Agriculture has about 2,000 established posts for extension officers against
over 3,000 farmers making it difficult to provide adequate extension service.
This is where radio plays a key role in informing the farmers on agriculture,
technical and latest technologies,” Mr Mbozi said.
He appreciates its effectiveness in reaching out to
farmers in rural areas who are in dire need of agriculture and technical
information.
National Agricultural
Information Services Assistant Director Stubbs Malambo explained that the newly
established radio station will strengthen the operations of the unit as radio
has been a very important source of information for farmers in past years until
now.
“It has also been the
main channel and extension tool farmers have relied on as their source of
credible information on agriculture technologies and other vital information
they need to upscale their production capacities,” Mr Malambo said.
He further explained that
the unit has adequate human resource to provide the much needed information to
the farmers at a reduced cost.
Over the years, it has
been quite painful for the unit to rely on other radio stations with cost
implications. This has negatively impacted on the smooth delivery of
information meant to keep farmers abreast with latest innovations and technical
information.
Mr Malambo has made a
passionate appeal to partners to come on board to support this initiative.
“We have been supported
with some transmitters by partners such as Musika, GIZ and Seedco. We still
have a shortfall of six transmitters to be mounted in six provinces,” Mr
Malambo disclosed.
The transmitters have
been mounted in Lusaka, Eastern, Central and Southern provinces. While the
other six provinces need transmitters to be procured as soon as possible.
He stated that a lot of
partners have been working with NAIS and called for their continued support,
noting that partners should consider using the radio station to advertise their
services.
NAIS Senior Radio Producer
Sombo Masumba revealed that Lima Radio 106.9 FM is a unique radio station, as
it is the first of its kind to provide purely agriculture content to farmers in
far flung areas.
Ms Masumba clarified that
once the radio station rolls out countrywide, it will act as a buffer to areas which
are not visited regularly by extension officers.
The radio station is
operating within the confines of Lusaka and awaits issuance of an expanded
license by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA). This will necessitate
information to be disseminated to farmers in far flung areas countrywide.
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