Sustainable agri-radio programming: Reaching farmers with information about climate-resilient agriculture
This post was written by Philip Atiim, USAID Enabling Farmers for Agricultural Transformation (EFAT) Activity Coordinator in Ghana, Soniia David, EFAT Project Director, and Matilda Imoro, EFAT intern in Ghana
Radio is one of the most widely used information and communication technology tools used to disseminate agricultural information and services to smallholder producers in low-income countries. Radio is widely accessible by the majority of farmers, both men and women, and can be used not only to provide technical, market and climate information, but also to connect farmers to technical specialists, policymakers and to service providers including buyers, suppliers and other farmers.
In fact, radio has evolved from a one-way communication channel to an interactive tool when used in combination with other agriculture extension approaches and tools including mobile phones, face-to-face interactions with agricultural advisors and call-in programs. Several studies have documented the accessibility and effectiveness of radio as an extension tool. A 2010 study by Farm Radio International, for example, found that 39% of farmers in active listening communities started practicing target innovations after the start of the participatory radio campaign (FRI Agricultural Radio that works). In Malawi, 57% of farmers received agricultural advice through radio.
A major, though underdiscussed, challenge facing rural radio in agricultural extension is the financial sustainability of agricultural programming, and more broadly, the institutional sustainability of these stations. Radio programs on agriculture are largely supported by development projects that typically only last a few months or years, and which may address only very specific project objectives. Once the development projects end, so do the corresponding radio programs.
Part of the problem is that many rural radio stations struggle to obtain finances to support their general operations, and experience even greater challenges securing resources for agricultural programs. Most stations in Ghana, for instance, rely heavily on public service funeral announcements to run their operations and receive funds from the Ministry of Health for health-related programs and from nongovernmental organizations for agricultural and other programming.
Supporting local radio stations in Northern Ghana to promote integrated soil fertility management
Since February 2024, the USAID Enabling Farmers for Agricultural Transformation project in Ghana has collaborated with Farm Radio International to roll out a participatory radio campaign on integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) in four districts in the Upper East Region of northern Ghana. Poor soils in much of that region, along with astronomical increases in chemical fertilizer prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, have pushed smallholder farmers to seek low-cost soil improvement and agronomic practices. While the vast majority of farmers (80+%) in the project’s targeted districts are aware of and apply some ISFM practices such as planting improved crop varieties, inorganic fertilizers and crop rotation, limited access to credit and inadequate information and knowledge of how to apply ISFM practices all contribute to incorrect application and low adoption of many practices.
In response, as nearly all farmers in EFAT’s target districts listen to radio programs, EFAT helped to develop a participatory radio campaign as a low-cost, effective way to improve farmers’ knowledge of ISFM. A participatory radio campaign is an outcome-oriented radio campaign designed to boost the uptake of a specific farming practice or method over 12-16 weeks. This award-winning approach has been proven to significantly increase knowledge and the uptake of good agriculture, health and development practices.
After identifying three local radio stations, EFAT’s partner, Farm Radio International, trained 12 radio station staff members on developing programs on soil improvement practices and broadcasting techniques. All three stations are commercially operated and have a history of broadcasting agricultural programs in the past, although none has ever received training in this area.
Profile of radio stations partnering with the EFAT project:
The season-long participatory radio campaign on ISFM involves three components: 1) A 48-episode, weekly program delivered in local languages; 2) FRI’s flagship Uliza platform, an automated system that enables users to interact with technical experts via mobile phone technology in combination with radio discussions to address questions and problems; and 3) Linking stations to field-level extension activities organized by government extension agents, agro-dealers and donor-funded projects to provide listeners with firsthand experiences from the field.
Between March and July 2024, in addition to providing information to thousands of farmers through radio episodes, the new radio campaign reached 4,232 smallholder farmers through the call-back system and sensitization sessions. The response from farmers has been positive.
Kwame Akanligparik of Builsa South District enthused: “The participatory radio campaign has helped me and my farmer group members to connect with a reliable agro-dealer who supplies us with our preferred improved seeds and fertilizers. Our challenges with getting good quality inputs will soon become a thing of the past.”
Ophelia Adumpoka Akolgo from Talensi District excitedly reported: “I was very happy to hear my voice on the radio sharing my experiences on how I am safeguarding the soil on my farmland for increased production. Some of my friends called me to tell me they heard me talking over the radio and I’m excited about that.”
So, what happens after the EFAT-supported radio campaign ends? Are the radio stations able and willing to continue their work, or will this effective and popular program end abruptly due to lack of funding?
Working to develop sustainable agricultural programs for radio
To ensure the financial and institutional sustainability of agriculture-focused radio programs, EFAT is supporting all three partnering stations to develop and operationalize sustainability plans.
To that end, EFAT and FRI organized a series of working sessions with management and program staff from each station, and facilitated them to conduct a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis of their broadcasting activities.
The results determined that all three stations currently have a wide coverage area but all three lack adequate funds, equipment and personnel. Opportunities identified by some stations included being the only station in a district, which provides exposure to donor-funded projects and familiarity with NGOs; they also have good contacts with politicians and commercial entities in their coverage areas. Common threats listed included problems with civil conflicts, erratic power supply and internet connectivity. Based on the analysis, each radio station developed its own sustainability plan, detailing the activities it plans to carry out after EFAT’s support ends.
After identifying potential local sponsors and collaborators, the stations are now in the process of seeking sponsorships from companies that sell agricultural machinery, as well as from agricultural banks and agro-dealers, who are the only private sector and for-profit actors present in their locations. This is a major shift: In the past, radio stations waited to be approached by organizations to fund their programs, whereas now, they proactively seek out sponsors and offer different sponsorship options and packages. As part of their sustainability strategies, these stations are also planning to diversify their audiences by targeting women, youth and people with disabilities, which offers new opportunities for securing sponsorship.
The radio stations acknowledge the challenges of finding ways to make their agricultural programming sustainable in the long term, but they are motivated to find solutions to meet the needs of their listeners.
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