CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE OVER THE AIRWAVES: MIKAYI FM COMMUNITY RADIO STATION IN SIAYA COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Due to changing climate and advancements in technology, rural farmers require a wide range of information on new climate-smart farming practices, including conservation agriculture.  Research indicates that even though scientists have created a number of farming methods and technologies, their uptake is still low because of a lack of knowledge or awareness, which is made worse by a communication gap between researchers and rural farmers. Therefore, there is need to link rural farmers in Kenya with the relevant agricultural information on conservation agriculture through community Radio. The paper analysed content of agricultural programs aired in Mikayi Fm community radio station on conservation agriculture in Siaya County, Kenya. The paper was anchored on participatory communication theory. The theory stresses on discussion and the active participation of all parties in decision-making. Communities are empowered to recognise their own needs and work together to generate answers as a result of the change from a one-way, top-down paradigm of information delivery to a collaborative, two-way process where varied opinions are shared and acknowledged. Therefore, Qualitative research approach was used to generate and analysed data. Mikayi FM community radio station was sampled for this paper, 6 farmers for focus group discussions and 4 key informants for key informant interviews that included radio presenter, ward agricultural officer and organization championing conservation agriculture were also sampled purposively. Content analysis was conducted on agricultural programs that was aired in the Mikayi Fm in the month of March, April and May and the month of October, November and December of the year 2023 to collect data on agricultural radio program content on conservation agriculture. Data that was generated was analysed through thematic analysis. The study found out that Mikayi radio station has two agricultural programs in a week. The study also found out that Mikayi Fm community radio station was airing content on conservation agriculture that is; content on minimum tillage, cover cropping and crop rotation. The study also established that there was no collaboration between the county agricultural extension officers and the radio station as the officers were not willing to be in the studio to discuss conservation agriculture with the farmers. Therefore, Mikayi Fm depends on the private extension officers as their experts to discuss conservation agriculture.  The radio agricultural program was participatory as there was a two-way communication during the question-and-answer segment and the presenter also involved the community in creating of the program. The paper therefore recommends that there is need for partnership between community radio station with ward agricultural officers, experts on conservation agriculture and farmers to come up with a program design specifically for conservation agriculture.