BANGLADESH AGRICULTURE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT: ROLE OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA

 

 

Over the years I have to visit extensively throughout the country to cover the agricultural stories for several television channels. While doing this I have had the opportunity to look into the scenario and features in depth that our peasant experienced in the real sense of the term. This comprises shortly their actual needs, miseries, deprivation, scarcity of modern knowledge related to farming, ignorance of modern equipment’s contributed by the nowadays technology. This let me to feel that this unwanted phenomenon not only put our peasants into the darkness of age old traditional system, but the economy of our nation that mainly agro based are being deprived of the fruitful result that the people of our country really deserve.

 

Direct conversation with the peasants whenever I get closed to them reveals the features and characteristics of the ongoing shortcomings and disadvantages our peasants encountered in their daily life. Eventually I started to discriminate between the facts and myth. One of my major objectives was to extract the factual details and truth instead of dealing with the existing myth. I had to thought times and again.

Finally I realized that it is only possible through the direct conversation with our people, getting close to them, to approach them honestly, and finally to listen carefully what they need truly.

The advent of a number of satellite televisions in recent few years takes initiatives seriously to cover the agricultural stories alongside their regular programmes. These programmes lead to making consciousness about some major deficits of our agricultural sector. State run Institutes and organization started feeling more importance to promote the agricultural issues and look into our poor peasants with more responsibility than ever before. These activities and initiatives are the direct outcome of the performance of electronic media and their role that they had been playing for recent few years, and in the least I feel like that.

This feeling and urge motivated me times and again to do some authentic and fundamental works that reveals the true and factual scenario of our agricultural sector along with the people who worked round the clock to uphold and carry on the prospect our agricultural. And this time I started to think about their real problems they encountered while working and promoting their products. Besides I have to think widely as to how we could make out the proper way out that really develop our agricultural sector, promote the life of our peasants and of those marginal people who dedicatedly contributed to our agriculture that has been making our economy to go. At the same time my objective was to focus on the issues that what the proper role of the existing Electronic Media should be while they are covering the story of our agricultural sector.

Undoubtedly, my past experience in Electronic Media helped me a lot to perform the task. As I told earlier as my extensive travel to the remote region and places enriched me a lot about truth and factual details of our agricultural and the lives of our peasants while making story for the Electronic Media, now I started to collect the data I need for my works. I am lucky enough that my jobs gave me opportunity to reach the people and places that I need most to perform my tasks. The challenge was to explore, assemble, and represents my findings that could reveals exactly what I wants to tell for the future generation.

The research work has been done among the different level of the society and my strong believe is that this will certainly bring advantage for our future generation.

The survey has been conducted among two thousands mass people where eight hundred of them took part directly.

If I simply want to explain the purpose of research work in brief and precise words I could mention three points of view and those are:

1. The facts and scenario that make me feel, motivate and encourage me to perform such a research works.
2. What I encountered and experienced while doing my research works.
3. And, how future generation could be benefited from this research work and how my works at least bring a few advantages the next generation people.

Cell Phone Communication, Mobile Communication in other words, is a new phenomenon in our country. It’s an essential gadget or electronic device that is getting useful and popular rapidly.

Mobile communication and their role in promoting agricultural factors has been explained elaborately in my research work as I think it’s the most recent technology that evolved and grew enormously popular to the mass people of the country. Mobile or Cell Phone communication has an easy access almost all of our country wide people and I defined the digital device as the Electronic Media Communication while doing my tasks. Certainly the device appeared as a new phenomenon and started keeping pace promoting our agricultural sector alongside their other promotional activities.

From my direct experience in the field while I encountering our people and started getting closed to them I want to mention few more words that I noticed and that seemed to me important to dealing with.

Our peasants and those who belong to our agricultural sector are mostly illiterate. I found our peasants not only unaware of modern agricultural method but they very often seemed to be confused about the information provided the media. It seems that they are bewildered whether they actually would be benefited from the information they are often provided with the media.

I felt it enormously crucial while going under conversation with them directly that they need digital training. This is, in one sense, relevant to the contemporary issue when our Government initiating to upholding the slogan of ‘Digital Bangladesh’. They should be aware of and used to using modern technology and equipment’s. This could be much more effective and possible through digital demonstration.

I gathered a bunch of experience both the positive and negative that I would like to mention here shortly.

Local and traditional measurement units are still being used that is one of the major short comings for our agricultural to grow properly.

Information that our media shares with our peasants helps them to get the proper idea of the price of their product and hence they get rid of being cheated by the middleman. It’s appreciable and noteworthy from my view point.

I got a different view while working and that is about road side plantation. Road side plantation could be considered new way. Trees that provide us with fruits and vegetable might be the proper choice while thinking about road side plantation. Huge population in our country remains hungry almost each and every day and they could be benefited from this if we could manage this road side plantation properly.

Dialect crisis is another typical issue that affects the exchange of information and hence hinders the growth of agricultural.

 

The role of the Agricultural Department of the state has been activated and accelerated more than ever before and my observation is this has been possible because of Electronic Media and the role they have been playing for the last few years. Obviously this is a significant change for our Nation while considering the good and welfare of our agricultural sector.

I would like to explore and explain the account and growth of our agricultural activities and the advent and development of Electronic Media in brief although I examine in details the issues in my dissertation.

The most notable thing is that the agriculture is the single largest producing sector of economy of Bangladesh. The fact behind the scenario is the agricultural sector alone contributes at around 30% of the country’s GDP and employment around 60% of the total labour forces of the nation.

And the bottom line is that Bangladesh is primarily an agrarian economy.

The role and pivotal performance of agricultural sector has a vast impact on major macroeconomic issues and objectives like poverty alleviation, human resources development, ensuring food-security and enforcing employment generation as well.

In recent years there has been the substantial increase in grain production. And as we all know this is because the seeking the nation’s food requirements that remains the key objective of government. However, due to the impact of climate change and natural disasters the loss of food and cash crops has become a recurring phenomenon that eventually disrupts the continuing progress of the country’s entire economy.

Agricultural assets and property in Bangladesh are generally poor, small, inadequate, and traditional. Collective use of modern machinery and equipment’s is gradually gaining popularity although.

As we know, rice, Jute, Sugarcane, Potato, Pulses, Wheat, Tea and Tobacco are the principal crops. And here I am going to present a bird’s eye view of the sub sectors of the agricultural scenario of Bangladesh.

The crop sub-sector dominates the agriculture sector contributing about 72% of total production, while fisheries, livestock and forestry sub-sectors are 10.33%, 10.11% and 7.33% respectively.

Bangladesh, as we all know, is the largest producer of Jute. Rice being the staple food, its production has always been the major importance. The country is now on the threshold of attaining self-sufficiency. Obviously it sounds like positive and this is what I experienced while performing my research work.

Media henceforth can bring together their new strategy to uphold and enhance the growth of agriculture and improve the lifestyle of our peasants and of those who are related to our agricultural activities.

Mass Media includes:

• Print Media ( Newspapers, books, etc.) and
• Electronic Media (Radio, Television, etc)

Equipment’s and devices used in the electronic communication process (e.g. television, radio, telephone, desktop or laptop or palmtop computer, game console, handheld device) are considered as electronic media.

Electronic media is media that utilize electronics or electromechanical energy for the user, audience and viewer in other words, to access the content. This is in contrast to static media, mainly print media, which are most often created electronically but don’t require electronics to be assessed by the user in the printed form.

The primary electronic media sources familiar to the general public are better known as video, audio, multimedia, slide presentations, CD-ROM and Online content. Most new media are in the form of digital device. However, electronic media may be in either analog or digital format (Linear and Nonlinear). Although the term is usually associated with content recorded on a storage medium, recordings are not required for live broadcasting and online networking.

Mass Media more effectively could be utilized to transfer agricultural technologies among growers to empower them with new knowledge to increase the productivity; to reach the farmers efficiently; Communication Planning process may be upgrade. Sustainable support needed from both public & private sector.

There are 2 primary types of satellite television distribution:

1. Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS)
2. Television Receive-Only (TVRO) satellite.

An example of the most popular is dish network available from Satellite TV.

In Bangladesh except BTV others are satellite channel. BTV can watch from elsewhere of country without using dish antenna as it is terrestrial channel. That’s why BTV is more popular channel than any other channel in Bangladesh. Other channels including state owned BTV World are satellite so local viewers those who have not satellite connection they could not watched popular satellite channel programmes. The satellite Channel’s in telecasting in Bangladesh are Chanel i, Chanel 1, ATN Bangla, Banglavision, RTV, NTV, ETV, Boishakhitv, Islamic TV, Desh TV etc.

Electronic Media signifies broadcast or storage media that take advantage of electronic technology. They might include television, radio, Internet, fax, CD-ROMs, DVD, and any other medium that requires electricity or digital encoding of information. The term ‘electronic media’ is often used in contrast with print media.

Electronic Mass Media, primarily TV and Radio, has become an integral part of our lives and cannot be separated from our life, particularly for the urban people. The need for information is more important than ever and the Electronic Media perusing the meet the increasing demands and needs of the people.

Our values and way of life in the society in this information starving era are strongly influenced by the mass media like newspapers, TV, radio, video, and the internet. Mass media’s influence on people’s lives is even greater and deeper than ever before.

Soon after mobile phones were recognized as a new and unique mass media channel the seven mass media categorization has emerged.

The seven mass media in order of their introduction are:

1. Print (books pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, etc.) from the late 15th century
2. Recordings (gramophone records, magnetic tapes, cassettes, cartridges, CDs, DVDs) from the late 19th century
3. Cinema from about 1900
4. Radio from about 1910
5. Television from about 1950
6. Internet from about 1990
7. Mobile phones from about 2000

Each mass media has its own content types, its own creative artists and technicians, and its own business model. The sixth and seventh media, internet and mobile, are often called collectively as digital media; and the fourth and fifth, radio and TV, as broadcast media.

In the context of Bangladesh, the contribution of Electronic Media to Agriculture has been preceded by Print Media for a long since. Then Radio appears while television is the most recent scenario.

Television, nowadays, appears as the most fruitful and vital phenomenon in the area of communication all over the world. Its audio visual demonstration can much more actively and effectively tells the stories than all other things of this genre. It can reach at and grip easily a huge number of the population too.

Bangladesh Television begins its journey in 25 December, 1964 and initiated broadcasting Programme based on Agriculture in 1975. In 80s it started broadcasting Mati O Manush (The Man and The Earth) which later earned a huge popularity.

The programmes attributed to agriculture come with more variety and objectivity when a bunch of Satellite Television Channel started appearing in late 90s. Channel I, ATN Bangla, Bangla Vision, RTV are a few to name among those. These Satellite Television Channels introduce several programmes that have meanwhile got popular among the audience because of their authenticity and spirit of the programmes.

Channel I, a leading Satellite Television of Bangladesh introduced ‘HridoyeMati O Manush’ (Man and Earth inside the Heart) by ShykhSeraj designed and devised with an essence and appearance. Then it came along with another new one titled ‘HridoyeMati O ManusherDak’ (Sound of Man and Earth in Heart).

ATN Bangla initiated programme like ‘MatirSubash (Fragrance of Soil) while RTV introduces ‘Amar Desh’ (My Country).

Bangla Vision came up with Shamal Bangla (Green Ground) while Boishakhi, another promising channel appeared with a couple of programmes titled ‘Krishi O Jibon (Agriculture and Life)’ and ‘PhireCholMatirTane’(Call of the Soil).

Bangladesh Television (BTV), the only state run terrestrial channel of Bangladesh continues telecasting ‘Mati O Manush’ (Man and Earth). Alongside, BTV introduces a bundle of programmes like, SAARC Krishi (Agriculture of SAARC Countries), KrishiDibanishi (Agriculture Round the Clock), KrishiKotha (Legend of Agriculture), Udvid O Jibon (Plants and Life), and Veshojo (Herbals) that are being enjoyed by both the urban and rural population of the country.

Apart from this scenario several other programmes are also being telecast by more than a few satellite channels which are yet to be grown up.

In the context of Bangladesh people who belong to agriculture are illiterate and therefore unaware of the devices, methods, and technique attributed by the modern science and technology. These people are not ready to grasp those alien and innovative ideas that appear tough, difficult, and confusing to them. It is, therefore, a prime concern of those who work in Media to make their programmes more attractive, striking and colorful while exchanging views opinion, news, and information to the farmers through Television.

In the context of Bangladesh, certain things need to take into account though the existing Television Channels made a few outstanding progresses in recent years.

We are now in the midst of the information revolution. Due to continuing developments in media technology, we are flooded by a huge volume of non-stop information. Most of this information comes to us without filtration or censor. The information can be either positive or negative.

It is important for farmers, to be able to look critically at the information and the sources and make positive choices. Having a critical attitude means that we can distinguish between positive and negative information and make choices that will give us information that will benefit us to harvest better crops and broadly our society will be benefited.  Below are some things we can do to develop our ability to think critically:

1. Studying agriculture development books
2. Attend a variety of training sessions on media, if any
3. Practice to viewing media critically
4. Exchange views and learn from the agricultural experts or experienced farmers
5. Group discussion
6. Do daily reflection

In the Colonial Regime the farmers of Bangladesh precisely used the method learnt from their ancestors. They applied the devices they earned as experience from their predecessors. They had no idea about modern science and technology. They exercised what they experienced as good and subsequently considered them as knowledge and applied them while cultivating. The scenario almost remained the same in the Post-Colonial Period.

In 1971, Bangladesh emerged as an independent country through the Liberation War followed by a huge bloodshed and agriculture was then recognized as the prime concern for the gross development of the newly born state. And now, four decades after attaining the Independence it seems Agriculture, in true sense, had played the key role behind the development of this country.

In today’s context when agriculture depends largely on the proper utilization and application of the technology, the Mass Media can’t escape its mammoth tasks concerning the growth and development of the Agriculture. In fact, nowadays, the success of Agriculture involves the huge performance and demonstration of Mass Media.

 

The essential role of the electronic media is to create opportunities for farmers to express themselves directly on the air: this is the only way that they will have a say and therefore participate in the decision process. The journalists need some training for reporting the issues of agriculture and rural development but unfortunately it is not a custom in many developing countries including Bangladesh.

In many countries, journalists are not specialized as agricultural journalists or any particular discipline. So it is pertinent to think that scientists should play a more active role in simplifying their research findings, making it easier for the journalists to interpret and report on such agricultural research.

With a good and ground knowledge about the agriculture and farming communities, a journalist can act like a catalyst in the field of agricultural development. It is very unfortunate that very few media people know about the alarming issues like sustainable agriculture, food security, biodiversity and climate change affects.

 Secondly the media can also provide a platform through which the farmers can engage with policymakers, so that their perspectives can be taken on board. Thirdly the media can also profile the work of farmers so that lessons and experiences can be shared.

Media’s essential role is as a catalyst, to facilitate a link between farmers and scientific information. This information is available but it does not circulate because the media does not know that this information exists and the farmers don’t have the tools to access it.

It shall have to ensure that all agricultural projects have journalists or media people as stakeholders in the process, and that provision should be made for them, like provisions are made for other members of the team. The media needs to be engaged more as a partner at the beginning, during the work and at the end and not as a special invitee to events, seminars and openings.

The journalist’s job is not to be the public relations tool of the development organization, of the Ministry of Agriculture or of the farmers’ organization. The journalist’s job is to find and tell good stories from the fields and farmer communities.

Journalists are not specialists in agriculture. The journalistic skills and use of those skills can bring information to the wider public. Traditionally the use of the media has been about communicating research messages when there are success stories in particular.

 

But journalists have the potential to be more of an agent of changes themselves. They are in quite a unique position, potentially being the voice of policymakers, the voice of farmers, the voice of researchers. So they potentially can be quite a powerful catalyst for change.

The essential role of the media is to create opportunities for farmers to express themselves directly on the air: this is the only way that they will have a say and therefore participate in the decision process.

The journalists need some training for reporting the issues of agriculture and rural development but unfortunately it is not a custom in many developing countries. In many countries, journalists are not specialized as agricultural journalists or any particular discipline.

So I think that scientists should play a more active role in simplifying their research findings, making it easier for the journalists to interpret and report on such agricultural research.

With a good and ground knowledge about the agriculture and farming communities, a journalist can act like a catalyst in the field of agricultural development. It is very unfortunately that very few media people know about the alarming issues like food security, biodiversity and climate change affects.

We know that agricultural extension is almost ineffective in our country, so farmers have to depend on the media to deliver information. Secondly the media can also provide a platform through which the farmers can engage with policymakers, so that their perspectives can be taken on board. Thirdly the media can also profile the work of farmers so that lessons and experiences can be shared.

I would say their future role essentially be as a catalyst, to facilitate a link between farmers and scientific information. This information is available but it does not circulate. It is because the media does not know that this information exists and the farmers don’t have the tools to access it.

The authority have to ensure that all agricultural projects have journalists or media people as stakeholders in the process, and that provision should be made for them, like provisions are made for other members of the team. The media needs to be engaged more as a partner at the beginning, during the work and at the end and not as a special invitee to events, seminars and openings.

Science and Technology, for instance, discovers and bring forth the devices for the users. And the users must know their efficacy and utility for the growth and productivity. And here comes the indispensable urge of communication that Media can play.

Agriculture is the backbone of the national economy. It had been pretended that agriculture is the foremost priority in the development agenda, but investment in agriculture and rural development is still left behind.

Communication for agriculture is not even seen as a major precedence at either national or international level and the role of the media as an effective player in agricultural and rural development is undervalued.

Reporting on agriculture is largely restricted to natural disasters, food shortages and rising food prices except for a few programmes. It is now accepted, however, that the media has a potentially broader role in raising the profile of agriculture amongst decision-makers as well as the wider public, and in communicating farmers’ needs.

The journalist’s job is not to be the public relations tool of the development organization, of the Ministry of Agriculture or of the farmers’ organization. The journalist’s job is to find and tell good stories from the fields and farmer communities. Journalists are not specialists in agriculture.

But journalists have the potential to be more of an agent of changes themselves. They are in quite a unique position, potentially being the voice of policymakers, the voice of farmers, the voice of researchers. So media, particularly electronic media, potentially can be quite a powerful catalyst for transforming Bangladesh Agricultural sector to a greater height.

And I am, better to say all of us who are conscious, aware of the crucial need of the Nation are looking forward to observe and experience that achievable height accomplished, demonstrated and ensured by our future generation.

Limitation

Research demands primary and secondary data. Due to availability of sufficient primary data the project has been done mainly based on secondary data and Personal contact. So data constraint is a vital limitation of the study. The information used in the project is collected from secondary sources. There are no data banks in Bangladesh, so it is very difficult to collect data for this purpose. There is a combination of primary and secondary data.

Methodology

The study is based on opinion survey and a combination of primary and secondary sources. The methods of conducting the survey are based on secondary data, presumption, assumption and experience. Secondary data compare with presumption, assumption and experience and analyzed them while the primary data is accumulated from the field comprising interviews as well as views of the relevant resource persons, farmer’s experience, media personnel, agriculturist, agriculture businessman, and concerned civil society.

 

 

Style and Presentation

Presentation made using the third person and usually past tense was used. The researcher had tried to achieve good standards of spelling and grammar. There were limitations because English is not researcher’s mother language.

It was tried to establish a logical link from one section to the next. Headings and subheadings were clearly marked and divided using different fonts and bold. Consistency was maintained in reference throughout the report. Table used were numbered and with a clear and precise title.

 

Structure of the Dissertation

The preliminary part contained the title, abstract, list of contents list of tables and figures, acknowledgements, etc. used in the study report. The main text started with nature of the problem, methods of investigation findings and recommendations.

The researcher had already given details of what would be one and how it would be done. All those things were devoted to collect some documentary and proper data and to analyze them to have findings and results of the study. All the works were done in strict time schedule that was presented graphically.