Issue #56

Welcome to a new edition of Farm Radio Weekly. This week, before we welcome our newest subscribers to the FRW community, we wanted to share with you a special quote from one of our subscribers who answered the call to the question: “What advice would you give to a broadcaster starting out his/her career?”

Samuel Kazibwe, a journalist and political analyst from Radio Simba in Uganda, has this advice to offer: “There is need for a broadcaster to accept that the process of learning does not end. When you make mistakes at the beginning, don’t look at yourself as a failure. Nobody expects you to be as excellent as those who have been on the job for ages. Don’t take offense when corrected because life is about learning.”

Thank you to all those who answered the call! To read more of what Samuel and others had to say, please go to the Farm Radio Action section.

The latest subscribers to the FRW community are: Ayiro Lwala from Yimbo Ber Self-Help Group and Stephen Misango, from PO Livelihood for Vulnerable Children in Kenya; Edward Perry from the Ministry of Agriculture in Liberia; Edoh Kudzovi from l’Union des Jeunes en Action Pour le Développement in Togo; Lamine Togola from Radio Fanaka ARCOM, Fatim Traore from ORTM Segou, and Fousseyni Diarra from ORTM Segou, all from Mali.

In this week’s news stories, we are pleased to bring stories from Uganda and Kenya. In the first story, FRW correspondent Joshua Kyalimpa reports on a new microinsurance scheme for rural farmers in Uganda who would otherwise not have access to loans because lenders considered farming a risky business. From Kenya, the second story talks about a new biosafety bill that was signed into law by President Mwai Kibaki, allowing for the production and use of genetically modified crops.

Finally, you will not want to miss out on the last in our series of eight steps for story-based farm radio programming in the Radio Resource Bank. And, stay tuned for a special International Women’s Day issue in the next FRW.

Happy Reading!

-The Farm Radio Weekly Team

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African Farm News in Review

1. Uganda: Microinsurance schemes to help farmers deal with unforeseen circumstances (written by Joshua Kyalimpa, for Farm Radio Weekly, in Kampala, Uganda)

2. Kenya: Kibaki gives seal of approval on biosafety law for the production and use of genetically modified crops (Scidev.net, The Nation, Africa Science News Service)

Upcoming Events

-March 13th, 2009: Deadline for program submissions to Radio Voices without Frontiers

Radio Resource Bank

-Steps for story-based farm radio programming – Step 8: Outline or Script

Farm Radio Action

-FRW subscribers give advice to budding radio broadcasters

Farm Radio Script of the Week

-Radio Spots: Grow Many Different Crops and Crop Varieties

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On his four-acre garden in Naminya village, about 50 kilometres east of Kampala, Lawrence Lubanga is preparing his fields for a new planting season.

He is set to resume growing vegetables such as cabbages, onions and tomatoes. Although these fetch more money than other crops, the rains of early 2000 had forced him to stop growing them.

During those rains, Lubanga’s garden was totally destroyed. But, with vegetables in high demand, he has teamed up with the Naminya Vegetable Farmers’ Association to grow the crops again.

Halima Kizza is another member of the Vegetable Farmers’ Association. She says that the group is motivated by the booming market in Kampala and southern Sudan, and is confident that they will receive a loan for their venture.

Like Lubanga, Kizza and other farmers had given up on crops that are vulnerable to unpredictable weather conditions. Although their gardens are adjacent to the Nile River, the farmers rely on rainwater because they cannot afford to put an irrigation project in place.
“I grow tomatoes, cabbages, onions — all those require water. But because of the water problem, when we grow them in the rainy season they are affected by heavy rains,” says Kizza.

Farmers in the Naminya Vegetable Farmers’ Association, like others across Uganda, depend on their own small savings to invest in the garden because local financial institutions will not lend to farmers. They find it too risky.

But that is about to change! Uganda is about to introduce a new crop insurance scheme. Richard Leftley is the Chief Executive Officer of Microensure, the company behind the plan for crop insurance. The company works with the Meteorological Centre to access rainfall and environmental data.

John Magezi is the Commissioner for Meteorology, a government body that forecasts weather conditions in the country and advises farmers on when to plant. He tells Farm Radio Weekly that weather-indexed crop insurance, in which insurance companies and farmers are advised on likely weather patterns by an authority before they buy or sell insurance or secure a loan, has been used in countries such as Norway to protect both the farmer and the lender.

He explains that, with weather-indexed insurance, a farmer insures his crops for a season and can secure a bank loan guaranteed by the insurance company.

In the Microensure scheme, farmers will pay a premium of 2,000 Ugandan shillings per season (about 1 US dollar or 0,80 Euros). Frank Tumwebaze is the president of the Uganda Farmers Federation. He says that, through the new insurance scheme, people who operate rural credit schemes will get advice from weather experts. This advice will help them assess the risks associated with a loan and advise farmers accordingly.

Uganda has adopted a strategy for fighting household poverty by advising farmers on techniques to improve yields. The crop insurance scheme will help rural farmers who could not otherwise access loans because lenders considered farming a risky business; Ugandan farmers who experience unpredictable weather and natural calamities often find it hard to repay their loans.

The scheme is being rolled out under the theme, “Ensuring a safer future.” Flora Kaheru is
Microensure’s country manager. She says that their first task has been to help farmers, like those in the Naminya Vegetable Farmers’ Association, appreciate the need for insurance services to cover their farming activities.

Micoensure is working with non-governmental organizations countrywide to expand their insurance products for farmers who own lands that are about an acre in size. The Naminya Vegetable Farmers’ Association was introduced to the scheme through another organization, the Uganda Organic Farmers’ Association, one of Microensure’s partners in rolling out the scheme to farmers.

Lawrence Lubanga says that the money the farmers will pay for insurance coverage will be affordable for anyone who follows a good business plan. He hopes that if the scheme expands to other farmers, poverty will become a word of the past.
Click here to see the notes to broadcasters on microinsurance

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After South Africa, Burkina Faso and Egypt, Kenya becomes the fourth African country to permit the production and use of genetically modified organisms or GMOs. On February 13, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki signed a bill establishing a legal framework for the cultivation and use of GMOs. The new law on biosafety will open the door to new field tests for GMOs in Kenya.

Last October, while the bill was being debated in parliament, Kenya’s Minister of Agriculture, William Ruto, said that he believed the best way to eradicate poverty and food insecurity was to adopt the right technologies. Ruto argued that if there is no evidence that GMOs are harmful to human health, they must be adopted because they are supported by science.

Margaret Karembu is the director of the African Center of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications. She says that the new legislation will allow for the rapid advance of a project called Water Efficient Maize for Africa or WEMA. WEMA aims to develop genetically modified maize that is resistant to drought.
An implementing partner of the project is Monsanto, one of the largest agro-business companies in the world and the leading producer of genetically engineered seeds, holding 70-100 per cent of market share in several crops.

The new bill comes at a time when many Kenyan farmers are struggling to feed their families because of the drought affecting the north-western part of the country. It also coincides with the release of a report by the United Nations Environmental Programme which surveys 114 small farmers in 24 African countries. The report concludes that organic farming practices in Africa produce results that are significantly better than agricultural practices that require chemical inputs. According to the report, organic farming improves soil fertility, allows for better water retention, and is more resistant to drought.

Last November, Farm Radio Weekly published an article stating that 53 civil society organizations, led by the NGO Food and Water Watch, opposed the law that allows the production and use of GM crops in Kenya. These civil society organizations mounted a petition to oppose the bill. The group fears that plants and animals that are genetically modified will contaminate other farms, and that patents and licensing fees on seeds will increase the dependence of small-scale farmers on agro-business.
Click here to see the notes to broadcasters on GMOs

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According to Wikipedia, microinsurance refers to insurance characterized by low premiums or low coverage limits, and designed to service low-income people and businesses not covered by typical social or commercial insurance schemes.

Crop or livestock microinsurance for small-scale farmers can mean extra security for farmers at a time when climate change and other unpredictable circumstances could cause devastating losses.

In an opinion piece in the African Executive (“From Microfinance to Microinsurance – the Quiet Revolution” http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=2940), microfinance trainer and consultant Charles G. Njoroge explains that “the concept of microinsurance can no longer be swept under the carpet. The active poor have money, businesses, property and lives to be secured. The future of business is in linking with the common man… Working with the poor and making money with the poor as they fight their poverty will be the largest growth industry of the future.”

One way to enrich a radio program on microinsurance is to contact the microinsurance company in your area with questions from local farmers. Interact with farmers in your listening audience by hosting a call-in or text-in show which directs their questions to the microinsurance company representative during a live studio interview.

The microinsurance company quoted in the story, Microensure (formerly Micro Insurance Agency), has African offices in Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania. Visit this link to contact their regional offices: http://www.microinsuranceagency.com/contact.html. There may be other microinsurance companies in your area. Give them a call or visit their offices.

Finally, here are two articles on agricultural microinsurance that may interest you:

-An article written by CTA and published in the October 2008 edition of Spore: http://spore.cta.int/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=617&catid=8

- Rwanda: Insurance to Boost Agricultural Sector http://allafrica.com/stories/200806161309.html

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As this story demonstrates, those in favour of biotechnology are convinced that GMOs will help guarantee food supplies, especially in times of drought, while many people advocate against their use, maintaining that the impact of GMOs on human health and the environment is still unknown.

The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety – a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity – deals with living modified organisms (LMOs). The protocol came into effect on September 11, 2003. Signatories to the protocol have agreed to take a precautionary approach to the transfer, handling, and use of LMOs, particularly during transboundary movement.

You can view the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in its entirety on the website for the Convention on Biological Diversity: http://www.cbd.int/.

To see the status of GMO use in countries that have ratified the Cartagena Protocol, visit the website of the African Biotechnology Stakeholders Forum: http://www.absfafrica.org/pages/biotech_status.html.

The Biosafety Clearing-House website offers a searchable database of laws and regulations concerning GMOs in various countries: http://bch.cbd.int/database/laws/.

If you are interested in researching a story about GMOs in your area, you may wish to consider the following questions:
-What laws does your country have to regulate biosafety and biosecurity?
-What information about GMOs is available to farmers in your area? Who provides this information? Are farmers aware of their rights in relation to GMO use?
-Are there NGOs, industry groups, or other organizations in your area advocating for or against GMOs?
You may also wish to review these links about GMOs:

-A previous FRW article about Kenya’s new biosafety legislation:
Kenya: New legislation would provide legal framework for GMOs (SciDev.Net):
http://weekly.farmradio.org/2008/11/17/kenya-new-legislation-would-provide-legal-framework-for-gmos-scidevnet/
-An article written by the NGO GRAIN, Fighting GMO contamination around the World:
http://www.grain.org/seedling/?id=575
-A report by the NGO GRAIN on the consequences of genetically modified crops for small-scale African farmers: http://www.grain.org/briefings/?id=12
The new weapons of genetic engineering:
http://www.grain.org/seedling/?id=576
-A policy paper written by the International Food Policy Research Institute,
Governing the GM Crop Revolution: Policy Choices for Developing Countries:
http://www.ifpri.org/2020/BRIEFS/number68.htm
-The website of the NGO Biowatch South Africa: http://www.biowatch.org.za/

Here are some other web resources on the subject of GMOs:

-Audio from an interview with Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Muta Maathai on transgenic crops: http://www.interworldradio.net/audiofiles/Kenya_GM_Maathai_Interview_hi.mp3
-A biography of this renowned environmentalist:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wangari_Maathai
-A list of arguments for and against GMOs, prepared by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):
-Arguments for: http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/focus/2003/gmo7.htm
-Arguments against: http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/focus/2003/gmo8.htm

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March 21st was declared International Day for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by the General Assembly of the United Nations as a reaction to the murder of 69 anti-apartheid demonstrators in Sharpeville, South Africa in 1960. Community radio stations are invited to submit their application to be a part of “Radio Voices without Frontiers (RVSF 2009)” for a one day broadcast campaign by the AMARC network. The campaign aims to actively engage community radios in promoting tolerance, equal rights and diversity. Topics for the campaign will highlight the issues of racism from a civil society perspective on all levels – local, regional and worldwide.

Contributions can be submitted in any language, and should be accompanied by a short introduction, either as text or as part of the piece, briefly explaining its content in English, French or Spanish. Programs should end with music. The title, duration and language of the piece(s) should also be specified in writing. Also include the name(s) of the producer(s), radio station and contact details.

One of RVSF 2009’s goals is to reinforce the socially inclusive ethos of the community radio sector, and promote access to the media by minority and disadvantaged groups.
Multilingual broadcasts exploring racism, discrimination and gender issues will be transmitted via Internet and satellite by radio stations on five continents.

For more details on how to participate, and to get story ideas, please follow this link: http://rvsf.amarc.org/index.php?p=How_to_get_involved_in_RVSF?&l=EN.

Click here to find general guidelines for submission:
http://rvsf.amarc.org/index.php?p=Submit_a_Program_to_RVSF&l=EN.

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Broadcasters participating in the African Farm Radio Research Initiative (AFRRI) recently engaged in training to produce story-based radio programming. We’re sharing part of the training materials here in the Radio Resource Bank. Below you’ll find Step 8 of an eight-step guide to story-based farm radio programming, which looks at the Outline or Script.

To re-visit the first four steps, visit the following:
-Step 1: Topical thinking
-Step 2: Practical research
-Step 3: Focus and story idea
-Step 4: Formats and program plan
-Step 5: Interviewing and well-crafted questions
-Step 6: Getting a good recording
-Step 7: Adjusting the focus

Defining Program Shape
Programs need a “shape.” Producers should ask: What does the audience need to know and when do they need to know it? Look for a definable story arc. For example, your arc might move from what to why to how. There are many possibilities. Decide what “shape” you think works best for your listeners.

Example: In a program about maize storage, you might first let the audience learn about ways that maize is damaged during storage. You might introduce the idea that maize can rot because it was not dry enough when stored. Then, your listeners might want to hear tips on how to check storage readiness by biting or winnowing maize to make sure it’s dry enough and will not rot.

Deciding on the Program’s “Voice”Will your program have a lot of sound? Will there be music? Will it be based on studio talk, on field pieces, or will it combine both? What is the tone of the program? Is it serious, playful, critical or helpful? These questions need to be considered to ensure a consistent “voice” for the program. Listeners should be able to flip on the radio and identify the program without hearing its title because they recognize the overall voice of the program. A consistent and distinctive voice helps builds listener loyalty; listeners will know what to expect. If they like it because it suits the needs of the audience, they will keep coming back. And that is what it is all about.

Example: An AFRRI team in Malawi wrote a signature tune to capture local sounds and reinforce messages about storage. In their feedback, the community said they liked the music very much – they suggested only that, next time, the team should write and sing a song about maize.

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In the February 2nd edition of Farm Radio Weekly, we invited all of our subscribers – regardless of whether they are just beginning their career or are seasoned professionals – to offer their advice to other broadcasters by answering the following question: What advice would you give to a radio broadcaster starting out his/her career?We received some very interesting and insightful answers. We would like to share some with you.

Atnedi Gnasse, a broadcaster who has been the on-air manager and trainer of on-air staff since 2001 at Radio Zéphyr in Togo, wrote: “A broadcaster in the early stages of her/his career must include the word humility in their vocabulary. The humility to learn, the humility to imitate, the humility to listen, the humility to learn from others and take notes, the humility to accept the task of preparing their shows, the humility to respect others, the humility to learn to be humble and open the doors to their own success.”

Susuma Susuma, a producer and presenter of Sauti ya Mviwata (The Voice of Mviwata), a radio program sponsored by The National Network of Small-scale farmers groups in Tanzania, wrote: “First, the radio broadcaster should be committed to work. They need to be curious and smart in terms of voice and content. I insist on content because audiences believe what is coming from the media, especially the electronic media.”

Samuel Kazibwe, journalist and political analyst with Radio Simba in Uganda, wrote: “It is important for a radio broadcaster starting out his or her career to do the following:

He or she should know his or her audience. In this era, people prefer listening to those radio stations that advance issues that affect their daily lives. For example, in poor countries like Uganda where most people survive on peasant farming, listeners would prefer a broadcaster who discusses better farming methods, to a broadcaster who discusses computer manufacturing.

A broadcaster starting out his/her career must read a lot. Listeners expect a broadcaster to know almost everything, and they will always call you in studio expecting immediate answers. When you fail to answer or give wrong answers, they lose trust in you and that would subsequently compel them to abandon your shows.

There is need for a broadcaster to accept that the process of learning does not end. When you make mistakes at the beginning, don’t look at yourself as a failure. Nobody expects you to be as excellent as those who have been on the job for ages. Don’t take offense when corrected because life is about learning.

Do not take your listeners for granted when broadcasting. Some presenters have a misconception that their listeners are ignorant and they end up spreading false information. This is very dangerous because some of our listeners are actually more knowledgeable than us on certain topics, and when they realize that you are taking them for a ride, they will be left with no option but to quit your station.

I surely believe that if a radio broadcaster who is starting out his career takes seriously the above stated ideas, he or she can make an excellent mass communicator.”

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In one of this week’s Farm Radio Weekly news stories, we looked at how micro-insurance schemes can help to reduce the risks farmers face with their crops. Another efficient way for farmers to reduce risks is to diversify the crops they grow. The following radio spots are short and simple messages that inform farmers about the importance of crop diversification, especially in the face of varying climate conditions.

To view this script online, please go to: http://farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/56-4script_en.asp

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