TV: A Tool to Transform the Agricultural Sector – Jammu Kashmir Latest News | Tourism

Dr Parveen Kumar

The present is an era of “information explosion”. We get information from many sources. Among the various sources, television is one of the greatest inventions of science which has revolutionized information and communication between all sectors of human life, including agriculture. The instrument was invented by John L Baird in 1925. This invention has helped human societies around the world in the fields of information dissemination, entertainment, communication, development, disaster management, the diffusion of technology and in various fields since the very beginning of the invention.

World television day

A MEANS OF MASS COMMUNICATION: Television is above all a means of mass communication. Mass media are those communication channels that can expose a large number of people to the same information at the same time. Different media information sources such as newspapers, radio and television and modern information and communication technologies (ICT) play an important role in disseminating relevant information well in advance to the farming community. . Communication through mass media is recognized as one of the most important methods of agricultural technology transfer. Mass communication is targeted to the general public for awareness and dissemination of technology. These technologies can relate to crops, livestock, fisheries, forestry and weather information that has an impact on agricultural development. In agriculture, these characteristics are used for the diffusion of technologies. Agricultural growth is vital for promoting economic progress and ensuring food security for the growing population in less developed countries. India being an agrarian and developing economy, agricultural development is a primary necessity for the country’s growth and a robust economy. All interventions should therefore focus on this issue. Television, as a media channel, is therefore essential for the dissemination of agricultural technologies.
In recent years, the use of mass media, especially television, has increased knowledge about different aspects of crop and animal production within the farming community. Television broadcasts information in a simple and easy to understand way through its various programs related to agriculture, health, education, industrialization and many more. These agricultural programs improve the capacity building of farmers. The information disseminated leads to improved knowledge and decision-making within the farming community. Although the use of ICT-based technologies is on the increase in the country, studies reveal that in rural areas, most farmers still depend on television, newspapers and radio for information about the crop. agriculture in rural areas. Print and electronic media are still the main source of agricultural information among farmers in rural areas. Even the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2001) has recognized that television is the most important medium for communicating information among rural populations in developing countries. Television plays an important role in the dissemination of information and enables people in remote areas to make decisions about their agricultural activities. Such a thing has generally been observed in developing countries. Agriculture-related programs are still viewed by respondents as the next priority after news and drama. Television as a medium of communication has great potential to influence farmers to stimulate agricultural development
SUPPLEMENT AG. EXTENSION SYSTEMS: A country’s agricultural extension system largely determines the development of the agricultural sector in that particular country. The innovations and technologies generated by the research system are transmitted to the farmers through this extension system. The major strength of the extension service is the extension officers who personally work through various extension methods to transfer technology to farmers and get them adopted for increased production. Complementary and supplementary tools for extension systems are mass media like radio, television, cell phone, internet, demonstration of results and methods, etc. the efforts of existing extension systems in different countries of the world.
HIGHER LEVEL OF ADOPTION AND INCOME: A number of research studies conducted by researchers around the world have shown that radio and television used by farmers in different countries to varying degrees are perceived as effective by farmers. farmers. These have played an effective role in improving awareness and increasing the level of knowledge of farmers. The different agricultural programs and technologies disseminated through these media sources lead to a higher level of adoption of these technologies. Farmers have benefited from increased income and increased marketing opportunities by accessing market information from these programs. In several studies, it was revealed that television has an important role in improving the agricultural knowledge of farmers. Research conducted to assess the role of television stations in agricultural development in Pakistan showed that television was moderately effective in increasing their farm income. Another study in Bangladesh found that farmers achieved high production using agricultural information obtained from television channels. In another study, it was found that television was the most effective media channel to influence the increase in knowledge of farmers.
AGRICULTURE ON TELEVISION: India had started in the late 1960s (January 26, 1967) to broadcast an agricultural television program known as “Krishi Darshan” to communicate agricultural information to farmers on an experimental basis in 1980s. villages in the Union Territory of Delhi. Experience was successful as a substantial improvement was observed in the adoption of better agricultural practices by farmers. Over time, many more agricultural programs have been added to this bucket to empower the agricultural sector and the farming community in our country. DD Kisan is another Indian 24 hour agriculture TV channel, which is owned by Doordarshan and was launched on May 26, 2015. The channel is dedicated to agriculture and related sectors, which broadcasts timely news. real to farmers on new agricultural techniques, water conservation and organic farming among other information.
WORLD TELEVISION DAY: The first “World Television Forum” was held on November 21-22, 1996 by the United Nations. Leading media figures gathered in this forum to discuss the growing importance of television in a rapidly changing world and reflect on how they could strengthen their mutual cooperation. United Nations leaders have recognized that television can draw attention to conflict, raise awareness of threats to peace and security, and put more emphasis on social and economic issues. Television was recognized as a major tool to inform, channel and affect public opinion, having an unmistakable presence and influence on world politics. Recognizing the essential role of television in all aspects of individual and social life, the United Nations General Assembly has decided to name November 21 “World Television Day”. It was not a question of celebrating the object itself, but of celebrating the symbol of communication and globalization in the contemporary world that it represents.
The day recognizes that television plays a major role in presenting different issues that affect people. It is a day to renew the commitments of governments, organizations and individuals to support the development of television media by providing unbiased information on important issues and events that affect society. Let us also take this day to discuss the media on how television promotes and can be used to increase cultural diversity and common understanding and its role in social, political and economic development.
(The author is a scientist at KVK-Leh)