[cr-india] Farmer's Voice ... in Baramati

[Frederick Noronha [फ़रेदरिक नोरोनया]]

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Farmers-Voice/282300/

Farmer's Voice
Pranav Kulkarni
Posted online: Monday , March 10, 2008 at 11:14:49

When the Union Budget waived off farmer loans worth Rs 60,000 crore,
the largely rural Baramati was privileged to have immediate reactions
to the significance of this decision. And all thanks to
Vasundhara-krishi wahini, the community radio for farmers that touches
households in the area as few other means of communication do.

So even as the country remained glued tobudget-related interviews and
panel discussions on their television sets, for Baramati it was this
radio that became the channel for all debates and opinions. ``Since
farmers know that we have such an effective communication medium in
our village, they themselves came and expressed their views about the
union budget on air," says Anil Sawale, announcer for Vasundhara.

But the union budget is just one aspect of it.

Four hours in the morning and four hours in the evening, farmers in
this area can listen to a number of programs like talk shows, cookery
shows, Vachal tar vachal- a show on importance of education. " We even
try to involve local people in our programs. There are so many farmers
who through a number of experiments increase the productivity of their
soil. We call such farmers to tour our studio and give them a chance
to narrate their success stories," says Sawale.

"The main source of income in this area is agriculture and agro-based
industries. This radio channel is transmitted in the radius of five
kilometers so that farmers in the area can benefit from this," says
Deepali Jadhav, in charge of Vasundhara.

Though the radio station is designed keeping in mind the agriculture
community, the agro-based businesses have also benefited from this. "
We also give them a chance to advertise their product with us. With
the rates as low as Rs 1.25, the small scale businessmen also market
their products for the local market," says Jadhav.

"With the help of krishiwahini and cooperative ministry of
agriculture, we had recently organized a model-training course for
farmers in this area. Due to the recognition that we got because of
this course, Vasundhara became the first community radio in India that
works only for farmers. Newspapers concentrate on important news and
it's not always possible for them to take up farmers' issues in
detail. This radio channel reaches out to remote areas and with its
programmes focussed on the pulse of the rural community. The farmers
have small problems related to their animals, their illnesses and it
is very important to address these issues. It is this initiative that
won the community radio, Vidyawahini, the radio duniya prize last
month," adds Jadhav.

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Frederick 'FN' Noronha   | Ym/Gmailtalk: fredericknoronha
http://fn.goa-india.org     | fred at bytesforall.org
Independent Journalist   | +91(832)2409490 Cell 9970157402
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