Improved Market Information Services programs increase farmers’ income and knowledge, part one

    | February 11, 2013

    Download this story

    To celebrate World Radio Day, our featured script talks about presenting marketing information on the radio, and the huge benefits farmers experience from these kinds of programs.

    From 2007 to 2010, Farm Radio International conducted a project called the African Farm Radio Research Initiative (AFRRI). One of the project’s findings was that farmers are very interested in Marketing Information Services (MIS). In response, AFRRI worked with five radio stations in four countries to broadcast enhanced MIS programs.

    This script talks about the creative and effective MIS programs that were broadcast as part of AFRRI. These programs went far beyond simply reading market prices on the air. They educated farmers on how to plan for the coming year, alerted farmers to price trends for different crops, and told farmers which commodities were “hot” and which were not. On some programs, farmers could phone in to talk on-air to broadcasters or ask questions of extension workers. On other programs, broadcasters helped connect buyers and sellers.

    This is the first part of a two-part series on MIS. This script talks about MIS programs in Mali and Ghana.

    http://www.farmradio.org/radio-resource-packs/package-94-african-farm-radio-research-initiative-afrri/improved-market-information-services-programs-increase-farmers-income-and-knowledge-part-one/