Radio as a tool for agricultural development: a case study of CBS Radio‘s Vanilla Bugagga programme

Abstract

This study sought to examine radio as a tool for agricultural development using CBS FM‘s Vanilla Bugagga programme as a case study. Building upon the diffusion of innovation theory and participatory theory as frameworks for analysis, the study adopted a case study design and a qualitative approach. It employed qualitative content analysis, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions with radio staff as well as farmers, farmer heads, and resource persons for programmes sponsoring organisations. Findings indicate that, while CBS FM is a crucial tool in agricultural development for dissemination of agricultural information related to the vanilla value chain, its potential is obscured by factors associated with access to and utilisation of agricultural information. These include radio-specific factors (access to and ownership of radio, access to power sources and weak signal) and farmer-specific factors (farmer organisation into groups, training, and availability of extension officers). Furthermore, the impediments confronted by farmers in accessing and utilising agricultural information greatly undermine the potential of CBS FM as a tool for agricultural development. These challenges encompass fluctuations in vanilla prices, the impact of climate change, limited access to production resources, the high cost of agricultural inputs, insufficient access to loans, and inadequate organisation of farmers into groups. To harness the power of radio as a tool for agricultural development, it is essential for the government, development actors, and radio practitioners to expand the dissemination of agricultural information to other radio stations, with a particular focus on priority crops such as coffee.