The 2 nd Agricultural Market Information Symposium

1. The 2nd Agricultural Market Information Symposium Radio Media Experiences: Audience interaction with current Market prices Simon Peter Byakatonda Marketing Manager, Bunyoyo Broadcasting Services

2. Brief about BBS • Is a community radio station in Masindi town. • Started in 2001. • Has been a leading radio station in Western Uganda for last 3 years.

3. Brief about BBS continued • A corporate Mission to educate, inform and entertain • Basic Concerns Focused on; Poverty alleviation, Education, Health, Cultural issues, Infrastructural development, Enterprise and Agricultural Development.

4. Geographical Coverage • Covers the districts of; Masindi, Hoima, Kibaale, Kabarole, kyenjojo, Kamwenge, Kiboga, Luweero, Mubende, Nakasongola, Adjumani, Yumbe, Moyo, Apac, Arua, Nebbi, • Parts of Lira, Gulu and Eastern DR Congo. • Reaches a population of approx. 8 million listeners.

5. Geographical Coverage cont’d • Target Audience cuts across all classes of people. • Programming attracts all irrespective of the difference in age, social class, religion, language and culture. • Programmes also cater for the needs of children, adolescents, youth, the aged, peasant farmers, white-collar-job workers, dependants, culture proponents, christians and muslims.

6. Geographical Coverage cont’d • Target: Populace • What matters: packaging

7. The Agri business program: Tukole • Name of the program: TUKOLE • Duration: One hour • Time: 10am-11am (Monday-Friday) • Presenter: Amos Bamulanzeki • Target Audience: Farmers, market vendors and consumers of Agricultural produce • Program Design: An edutainment program involving information presentation and discussion with relevant music with meaning to the topic of the day.

8. Program Layout • 00-01 mins: Program billboard to introduce it • 01-04 mins: A brief introduction of the topic of the day by the presenter • 04-07 mins: A song interlude to set the stage for information • dissemination • 07-45 mins: The actual information dissemination. Here the presenter uses all the information gathered from the infotrade website to expound the topic for the public to understand. This is the longest program segment, taking a whole 38 minutes of the hour. However length of this segment mainly depends on the sensitivity and importance of the topic to the community.

9. Program Layout Continued • 45-48 mins: A song to set stage for the interactive segment of the program • 48-55 mins: This segment is determined and controlled depending on the reactions of the people to the info presentation above. • The public make call-ins and freely discuss the topic giving individual opinions about the topic of the day. • 55-57 mins: The presenter winds up with a synthesis of the hour. • 57-58 mins: Program billboard to close the hour • 58 on mins: Last song that leads us into the next hour. It can be relevant to the topic concluded or to the material in the following hour of TUKOLE

10. How BBS had integrated market information from Infotrade into the Tukole program • Has been in existence as long as radio has existed. • This program was introduced due to the major occupation in the area which is Farming How BBS got in contact with INFOTRADE • Publicity campaign • Played the role running messages on air for FIT Uganda

11. The reception, Interpretation and packaging of Information • Desk for the presenter receives infotrade information on internet. • It involves the daily price updates and monthly reports as they appear on the infotrade website. • Its printed • Presenter Visits the Local markets. • Compares info from the markets with that of Infotrade to be more appropriate. • Contacts established at markets to avoid physical movement the use of phones comes into play. • Working script is developed and is submitted to the programs manager. • The manager helps the presenter interpret and package the info in relation to the basic structure of the Programme.

12. Why the Local Markets • Reactions from the listeners during the 15 slot of interaction in the program. • Complaints that Infotrade Information was not applicable to them, referred to it as “Kampala Information” • Prices differ from area to area due to the geographical differences and level of exposure to the modern facilities.

13. The influence of Agric Program on the Coverage Community • Cross-boarder trade has greatly been aided. Local traders in Eastern DRC and Kyangwali Sub-county use BBS as prime medium of communication. It helps Congolese to avoid being overcharged. Their mode of trade is barter trade. • Market guidance: People have to seek information from this program before visiting markets for produce. • Growth of small and medium enterprises. Many people who were not business people at heart are now practicing because of this program. .

14. Challenges of using radio as a channel for MIS dissemination • Medium calls for perfection in everything we do. • Electronic media (radio) greatly uses brief and concise statements and rarely attends to the gory details. • General network problem both for internet and phone services. • Financial bottlenecks especially when it comes to accessing local markets information. • Differences in our preferences due to the fact that we are human beings.

15. Future Plans for BBS regarding MIS • Daily news Bulleting on the agricultural prices of the day • Installation of the AFSAT internet facility • Plan to Start a network of reporters in the different areas of our coverage • Contribute to the information on the site of Infotrade • This information marked as coming from our region to avoid confusion

16. Thank You for your Attention