Use of community radio to communicate agricultural information to Zimbabwe's peasant farmers

Purpose – The objective of this paper is to investigate the benefits and limitations of using radio to communicate agricultural information to peasant farmers, and how radio can be successfully incorporated into agricultural extension service programmes. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative and qualitative research techniques were used and applied to gather, analyse and interpret data. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were conducted with peasant farmers, and four in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants involved in agricultural extension and radio services. Findings – It was found that although peasant farmers are well-aware of extension service programmes, they do not satisfy their agricultural information needs. This is because there are not enough extension workers, they do not have the means of transport to reach all households, they lack the communication skills to effectively interact with the peasant farmers, and they lack the motivation to carry out their work. A community radio service was the most preferred medium of communication for rural peasant farmers. The farming programmes are relevant to their own agricultural activities, their own language and accents are used, and they can contribute to the programme content. Originality/ValueThe study proposes a strategic model that could be used to communicate agricultural information effectively to peasant farmers. The proposed model elaborates how the community radio service should be set-up, the important elements to be included, and how the community radio service can be incorporated effectively into extension service programmes.