Profiles of Progress: Farm Radio

image courtesy by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Educate farmers through farm radio in Africa.

One Sunday evening, after a long day tending her fields of maize, pepper, and okra, Faustina Klutse switched on her radio.

What she heard changed her life.

A new farming show was on the air encouraging listeners to plant a drought- and disease-resistant rice variety that would thrive in Ghana and fetch good prices at the market.

Like many farmers in Ghana, Faustina was reluctant to experiment with new crops. But after listening to the program, she decided to give it a try. Week after week, she tuned into the show to hear farmers and government agricultural extension agents offer advice on where to buy the seed, how to prepare the soil, when to plant, and how to tend the rice fields. She joined a listening group where she could share advice with other farmers.

When it was time to harvest, her crop was in high demand at the local markets, giving her the opportunity to make a handsome profit. For the first time in her life, Faustina, a 46-year-old mother of two, suddenly had money to spare.

“There is now happiness in my house. I never had enough money. Now I’m able to send my children to school, and I have enough income to eat,” Faustina says.

Faustina had tuned into a new kind of radio show created by Farm Radio International, a Canadian-based nonprofit organization.

In Africa, many governments lack resources to educate farmers about new agricultural practices and technologies that can help them increase their productivity and incomes. In Nigeria, for example, there is one government agricultural extension agent for every 3,000 farmers, giving each farmer less than 30 minutes of time with an agent per year. But more than 70 percent of Africa’s rural population has access to radio, making it a reliable way to reach farmers.

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