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INTRODUCTION TO RURAL AND AGRICULTURE

COMMUNICATION

UNIT STRUCTURE
1. Learning Objectives
2. Introduction
3. What is Rural Development
4. Why Agricultural Communication
5. Suitable Media
6. Let Us Sum Up
7. Further Readings
8. Answers to check your progress
9. Possible Questions

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going trough this unit you will be able to

explain what is rural development
describe how development communication plays an important role in rural development
describe the importance of agriculture communication
discuss the suitable media for development

INTRODUCTION

In the last Unit we have discussed why Development Communication is relevant and
important for the overall situation prevailing in our country.
Let us now discuss about development communication for rural development, particularly
agriculture. Agricultural and rural development are aspects of the Indian society and
economy which require the services of this popular provision of development communication
for achieving the long term as well as short term goals. So, in this unit we will discuss about
what is rural development, what is agriculture communication and the suitable media that can
be used for this purpose.

What is Rural Development

In very simple terms, rural development refers to development of the rural areas and raising
the standard of life of the rural people. In our country more than 70 % of the people live in
rural areas or villages whose main profession is agriculture and related trades. In a similar
situation like agriculture the villages or rural communities are also characterized by a low or
almost absent literacy rate, lack of modern means of transport and communication, lack of
innovativeness etc. These factors have rendered our rural areas and communities into islands
of underdevelopment.
We all know that the government and society have been trying their best to develop ourselves
into the status of a developed nation in an adequate point of time. But how can the country go
forward as a whole with such a major burden of an illiterate and underprivileged people
which forms the bulk of the Indian population as a whole.
One important aspect of this entire episode is that if a majority of the population in any nation
remains underdeveloped how can we think of developing. Of course, at the same time this is
also true that this sort of underdevelopment prevails in many Indian cities and towns also.
However, as in the towns and cities there are quite a few agencies and avenues for taking up
developmental schemes the situation is somewhat better compared to the rural areas. The
backwardness of rural and village areas are characterized by several aspects. These include
poor transport and communication, orthodoxies given birth by the lack of literacy and
exposure to information and education, in many cases schools and other educational
institutions in very dilapidated conditions unfit for teaching purpose, non availability of
health and medical facilities etc. But apart from all this, there is another very important aspect
of rural development. It is agricultural development and it can infact be called the most
important aspect of development in rural areas. This is because agriculture being the main
source of income of the rural people, improvement of agriculture can directly and indirectly
facilitate development in many other areas. We will discuss about communication for
agriculture development in the next section.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

1. What do you mean by rural development?

2. In our country more than _______________ percent of the people live in rural
areas or villages.
3. _______________ is the main occupation of the people living in rural areas.

Why Agricultural Communication

It is needless to repeat the fact that India is a country where agriculture plays a major role in
her economy. Traditionally, we are an agriculture-based economy though in the last few
decades the share of agriculture in our economy has gone down considerably. Here are a few
characteristics which have kept it at an important and prime position in the Indian economic
sector. These include

It is still the largest sector of employment and also disguised employment,

It is still based on old and not very productive techniques of production with advanced
cultivation happening only in case of a marginal percentage of farmers,
Most of the people engaged in it live in rural and semi-urban areas of the country,
All these rural areas are mostly devoid of a good transport and communication system,
Due to all these factors and despite a highly adequate emphasis upon this sector in several of
the five year plans of the country, our agriculture has been largely lagging behind all other
economic sectors over the years. And so is the case of the people involved with this
profession. Most of them are underprivileged, illiterate, living in not so desirable conditions
normally associated with an uncomfortable living standard. Hence, we need the services of
development communication to push the developmental factor in the agriculture sector as
much as possible.
Being an agriculture-based economy, the governments both at the Centre and States have
been trying their best to carry out ambitious plans and strategies for development of
agriculture in the country since Independence. In fact, the first Five Year plan had agriculture
as the most important focus. Even though it may not have been given the primary status in
other Five Year plans, yet it was accorded a major position in terms of developing it.
So we have agriculture universities, veterinary colleges in almost every state of the country as
well as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) based at Delhi. These
institutions, particularly the ICAR has been spearheading an all-round development and
research strategy in this field for the last several decades.
Now, these institutions and other related research organizations have been regularly carrying
out many high profile researches into various aspects of agriculture and veterinary. For
example researchers in these institutions may be engaged in finding out high-yielding variety
seeds for better productivity, seeds which may grow even in very adverse conditions,
livestock and poultry which may yield better and more quantity of milk, meat etc.
But the problem is how to make such knowledge or information available to the actual
target audience who is expected to be benefited by these research findings. We are
developing these findings only for the benefit of the farmers engaged in agriculture in remote

areas of the country. Until and unless they can derive any advantage from these new findings,
what is the utility or justification of achieving these positive results.
These are basically applied research which is expected to help a specific community or target
audience.
We have already said that most of the average farmers are usually illiterate, underprivileged,
devoid of any proper and effective information for taking up something innovative in their
profession. Thus it is the utmost duty of the society to facilitate transfer of these research
findings or knowledge to the farmers. This will ensure that the latter can take benefits from it
by applying these information to their practice. And thereby manage to attain a better living
standard in due course of time. So there is the express requirement of having an agricultural
communication system for development of the farming community.
This is agricultural communication. It is the process by which we try to disseminate the
research findings to our farmers and teach them how to apply these in practice.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

1. What is agricultural communication?

2. What is the significance of agricultural communication in our country?
3. The _______________ has been spearheading an all-round development and
research strategy in the field of agriculture.
4. The first Five Year plan had _______________ as the most important focus.

LET US KNOW
In agricultural and related sciences there is a term called Extension Education or
Extension Communication. You may be already familiar with this term from
various sources. This is nothing but Development Communication in its specific
form tuned to the practice of agriculture. In simple words we can say that it is the
effort and system to communicate the research findings and developments in
agriculture studies institutions to the farmers the target audiences for helping
them to apply the same in their practice.
We know that all state governments do have a department of agriculture and
veterinary for development of this sector. In these departments, at the lower level
or entry level there is an agriculture or veterinary extension officer. As the name
itself suggests this official is entrusted with the important task of disseminating
the newer advances in agriculture and veterinary sciences to the farmers.

However, his or her duties do not end at this point. The officer is expected to
demonstrate and train the farmers in the specific field for convincing them to
adopt the new practices.
Below this category of officials, there is another layer of field-level workers
called gram sevak and gram sevikas. Their task is to practically demonstrate
these new findings to the farmers in a hands-on manner. This is also nothing but
a specific form of development communication.

Suitable Media

In a society we must carry out any developmental communication activity only with all the
resources (in our case media) available with us for the purpose. At this point this is to be
noted seriously that each and every mass media or other forms of media may not be equally
suitable and comfortable for carrying out the task of development communication. We will
have to look for a suitable media out of all these and implement the task with a judicious
media planning.
You must be curious about this term media planning. It means preparing a finely-balanced
mixture of different types of media for dissemination of the desired information to the actual

target audience. This planning is based upon the findings on what type of media is available
at that specific place, how many people have access to any particular type of media,
preference of a specific media agency by the people from different age groups etc.
In other words we cant ignore any single media setting it aside on the basis of its lower level
of penetration of the masses. We must consider all of them even if they are able to provide
exposure to only a smaller percentage of the masses. Besides, we must also be highly careful
and impartial in selecting the right kind of media mix for delivering the information to the
people. This is because an imbalanced media planning will prove only detrimental rather than
delivering the goods to the people.
Let us consider these media for your convenience to see how much suitable they are, for
taking our development communication messages to the desired masses with ease.
PRINT MEDIA : This medium enjoys the distinction of being the oldest among all mass
media and has a special relationship with the masses despite the advent of TV and Radio.
Even in todays condition when TV and Radio are becoming highly popular among the
masses, the print media has continued to make its presence felt in major way. However,
despite all the advantages of this medium it still remains mostly an urban medium and it cant
be exactly termed as an ideal medium for rural and agricultural development.
ELECTRONIC MEDIA : Among the components of this media which includes Radio, TV,
cinema, Cable TV etc., Radio is found to be the most suitable one for rural as well as
agricultural target audiences. The major advantage or scoring point of this media above the
print media is that its messages need not be carried physically to the masses and can be sent
through the air. Only the masses need to possess a radio set for the purpose. This is why it is
suitable for serving people almost 24 hours of the day. This is not possible in case of print
media as it has to be physically delivered at the doorstep of the masses targeted by it.
You must have seen in many rural areas and also in towns and cities of the country at
different points of time people working in the agriculture fields or other places while listening
to Radio at the same time. This is possible as the persons hands are free to work because his
or her eyes are not engaged in the process which makes him or her free. This is a very
important advantage for radio which makes it far more suitable for spreading or
disseminating information and education on agricultural and rural development.
That radio is becoming ever more popular among the masses at the rural areas and also the
towns and cities of the country is reflected in the detailed findings of the India Census 2001.
This Census informs us that in the state of Assam out of the total number of more than 49
lakh households, at least 30 % possess a radio set whereas the same for TV stands quite low
at a little over 18 %. Of course there are some variations in the number of radio and TV sets
in the rural and urban categories of the population. In the urban category TV is possessed by
more than 55 % of the population with about 40 % having radio sets. On the other hand in
rural areas of the state, just about 12 % of the total households possess TV sets with more
than 28 % for radio sets.
Further, the same set of statistical data also informs that the population of Assam between the
ages of 15 to 49 (divided into six categories of five years each) tunes into radio mostly,
compared to any other mass media.
The remarkable fact is that despite the presence of so many avenues of entertainment and

information gathering at the disposal of the people specially in urban and town areas, such a
presence of radio is quite commendable. This is proof enough that radios utility as a suitable
medium of development communication has remained important and intact till date.
We know that these days the rural and agricultural community across the country is becoming
a major force to be reckoned with. So, several established private corporate houses are
coming forward to set up facilities for helping the rural population in getting proper
connectivity to the outside world.
These companies have set up facilities in remote areas of the country to help the farmers and
rural masses to access market information for selling their products at city markets,
monitoring of supply and demand scales and thereby getting the benefit of applying modern
means of scientific development.
A new concept which is becoming popular in our country which has a high potential for
being used for furthering the cause of development communication is Community radio. We
have already mentioned about CR in the previous unit. It is nothing but a small-calibre FM
radio station with a limited range used for local purposes for disseminating information.
Its major advantages are that being a localized radio centre all issues of local importance get
priority over anything else. Further, these stations are maintained by volunteers and other
workers elected or chosen by the local community itself. So, there is hardly any scope for
outside interference and undue pressure for broadcasting something which may not be
conducive for the immediate local community. In simple terms this is a system of radio
broadcasting which is for the people, by the people and of the people.
This is a very ideal tool for development communication. Because they enjoy the scope of
broadcasting programmes in their local languages, comprehensive and easily-understandable
programme contents for the local masses, and concerning itself with only those aspects which
have a direct and indirect relevance for the community etc. This medium has been proving to
be the most potential and emerging media tool for furthering the cause of development
communication in our country.
FOLK AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA : These media are highly potential tools for achieving
the goals of development communication in our society. Specially in a country like ours with
so many hundreds of communities living in harmony with distinct culture and languages etc.
However, we will discuss about them in a separate chapter fully dedicated to traditional fock
media.
LET US KNOW
Role of Institutes of Rural Development
In this regard the role of the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD)
situated at Hyderabad must be mentioned adequately so that you can be familiar
with its efforts in bringing about changes in the rural situation of the country.
NIRD is engaged in extensive research, teaching and extension works all over
the country as mandated by its charter of establishment for the same purposes.
Among other divisions, it also has a department for rural communication which
specializes in devising proper ways and means for communicating
developmental inputs for the rural population.

Similarly, most of the states of the country have their own state-level institutes of
rural development somewhat loosely based on the model of NIRD. All of them
are engaged in the business of researching as well as implementing schemes of
rural development. And also devising better means of communicating
innovations for the benefit of the rural population

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

1. What do you mean by media planning?

2. What are the different considerations that are taken into account while doing
media planning?
3. What is community radio? What are the advantages of community radio?
4. What are the potential media for achieving the goals of agricultural and rural
development ? Why ?

LET US SUM UP

Rural development refers to development of the rural areas and raising the standard of life of
the rural people.

The backwardness of rural and village areas are characterized by several aspects. These
include poor transport and communication, orthodoxies given birth by the lack of literacy
and exposure to information and education, Poor infrastructure of schools and other
educational institutions, non availability of health and medical facilities etc.

Agricultural development is the most important aspect of development in rural areas.

We need the services of development communication to mobilize development in agriculture.

Both the central and state governments have always emphasized the importance of
development of agriculture in the country since Independence. The first Five Year plan had
agriculture as the most important focus.

There are agriculture universities, veterinary colleges in almost every state of the country as
well as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) based at Delhi. These
institutions, particularly the ICAR has been spearheading an all-round development and
research strategy in this field for the last several decades.

Media planning means preparing a finely-balanced mixture of different types of media for
dissemination of the desired information to the actual target audience.
Print medium is mainly an urban medium and it cant be exactly termed as an ideal medium
for rural and agricultural development.

Among the electronic media, Radio is found to be the most suitable one for rural as well as
agricultural target audiences.

A new concept which is becoming popular in our country which has a high potential for
being used for furthering the cause of development communication is Community radio.

Community radio is a small-calibre FM radio station with a limited range used for local
purposes for disseminating information. This is a very ideal tool for development
communication. Because they enjoy the scope of broadcasting programmes in their local
languages, comprehensive and easily-understandable programme contents for the local
masses, and concerning itself with only those aspects which have a direct and indirect
relevance for the community.

FURTHER READINGS

Hanson, AJ and Gabriel, R (1992) Communicating for sustainable development : promoting

sustainable development in developing countries, Journal for Environment and Development,
Vol 8, No 2, pp 111 132.

Melkote, SR (1991) Communication for development in the Third World Theory and
practice, Sage Publications, New Delhi.

Modi, Beller (1991) Designing messages for development communication, Sage

publications, New Delhi.

Rehman and Rehman (1998) Participation for development, Manak publications, New

Delhi.

ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

A) 1. Rural development refers to development of the rural areas and raising the standard of
life of the rural people.
2. 70
3. Agriculture
B) 1. Agricultural communication is disseminating the research findings in agriculture to our
farmers and teaching them how to apply these in practice.
2. We all know that more than 70% of our population live in villages and rural areas of the
country and agriculture is the major source of income for these people. However, this chunk
of population is plagued by several major problems like large-scale illiteracy, lack of means
of communication for information dissemination, inability to cultivate properly with modern
techniques and tools due to lack of initiative, innovation and financial resources etc. Thus it is
highly important that we develop our rural population particularly in the agricultural sector so
that the country can advance towards a developed status in the near as well as distant future.
Therefore agricultural communication is very important for our country.
3. ICAR
4. Agriculture
C) 1. Media planning means preparing a finely-balanced mixture of different types of media
for dissemination of the desired information to the actual target audience.
2. Media planning is based upon the findings on what type of media is available at that
specific place, how many people have access to any particular type of media, preference of a
specific media agency by the people from different age groups etc.
3. Community radio a small-calibre FM radio station with a limited range used for local
purposes for disseminating information. In simple terms this is a system of radio broadcasting
which is for the people, by the people and of the people.
Its major advantages are that being a localized radio centre all issues of local importance get
priority over anything else. Further, these stations are maintained by volunteers and other
workers elected or chosen by the local community itself. So, there is hardly any scope for
outside interference and undue pressure for broadcasting something which may not be
conducive for the immediate local community.

4. While all media including mass and others are potential ones for extending the cause of
development communication radio and particularly community radio is more suitable for it.
This is because all other media are basically urban-centric with hardly any considerable
penetration of the rural areas. However, the situation is completely different with radio and
community radio which have almost hundred per cent coverage of the countrys population
as well as geographical areas. Radio enjoys the unique advantages of being an easilyaccessible, comprehensive, highly portable, easily understandable medium which also has a
special rapport and relationship with the masses of the country. So this is a very highly
potential medium for development communication.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

1) Why cant we look at agricultural and rural development as two completely different
sectors of development with no connection between them?
2) What type of media are suitable for the cause of development communication for rural and
agricultural development in India? Give examples.
3) What efforts the government or society are taking up for promoting development
communication in the sectors of rural and agricultural development?
4) What is the scope of utilizing folk and traditional media for development communication?
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