Abstract
This ethnographic study used focus group discussions to investigate and gather ideographical information about why statistics from the Nankumba region of Mangochi in Malawi, where, from 2008 to 2010, Farm Radio International implemented the African Farm Radio Research Initiative (AFRRI) - a meticulously and almost flawlessly planned hybrid maize variety promotion radio campaign - consistently showed that farmers preferred local to the promoted hybrid maize varieties before, during, and after the participatory community radio campaigns. The study found that in determining which maize varieties to opt for, farmers consider not only volume of yield per unit area but also taste, smell, flour extraction rate, and storability of the maize. The study further observes that preference of local maize varieties over hybrid is not restricted to rural farmers. Thus, farmer exposure to and participation in radio campaigns may increase awareness and knowledge as did the AFRRI campaign, but may not necessarily lead the farmers and consumers into adopting new maize varieties, technologies or innovations. Key words : radio campaign, participation, radio production, adoption, innovation, hybrid maize, Malawi
Highlights
Between 2007 and 2010 Farm Radio International, in partnership with the World University Service of Canada (WUSC), ran the African Farm Radio Initiative (AFRRI), a participatory communication action research project whose goal was to investigate how radio and modern ICTs, such as mobile phones and MP3 players, can help smallholder farmers in Africa to produce enough food for themselves, their families, and their immediate markets
The first is that in both communities, farmers are aware about the differences between local maize, hybrid maize, and composite (OPVs) maize probably because of the information they get from agricultural radio programming from radio and through on-farm extension activities
The results of this study seem to point to the fact that farmer participation in nor or access to radio campaigns may not necessarily lead to adoption of innovations by farmers
Summary
Between 2007 and 2010 Farm Radio International, in partnership with the World University Service of Canada (WUSC), ran the African Farm Radio Initiative (AFRRI), a participatory communication action research project whose goal was to investigate how radio and modern ICTs, such as mobile phones and MP3 players, can help smallholder farmers in Africa to produce enough food for themselves, their families, and their immediate markets. Five radio stations per country (one public, one commercial, and three community or associative) were selected using criteria that included “expressed interest and commitment to producing and supporting farm radio programming, transparent and effective management, and diversity in reach across a particular region” (Ngobo and Sheila-Rao 2010:4). Prior to the implementation of the action research, Farm Radio International conducted baseline and formative studies to establish times, duration, points of radio listenership; agricultural awareness, knowledge, attitudes, practices and livelihood trajectories (Ngobo and Sheila-Rao 2010). The choice was restricted to a) soil and water management, b) product diversification and c) marketing (see Manda and Chapota 2008)
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