Mass media incorporates all mediums through which information is distributed to the masses. It is categorized into 7 branches introduced over time - print, recorded music, films, radio, television, newspapers, and the internet and mobile. Mass media aims to attract the largest possible audience. It functions to inform, build consensus, entertain, advertise, and promote development. While it can reach many people quickly and at low cost, it also has disadvantages like being difficult to make local or lacking feedback. Mass media plays a vital role in agriculture by communicating information to farmers. It includes newspapers, magazines, television programs, films, and now increasingly the internet and mobile phones.

2. • Mass media is a relatively new idea
in human culture.
• Mass Media incorporates all those
mediums through which
information is distributed to the
masses.
• Today, mass media is generally
categorised into 7 branches. These
"seven mass media", in order of
their introduction are :
2

3. internet and mobile, are often called collectively as digital media &
radio and TV, as broadcast media.

4. Characteristics of mass media
• Communication is mostly one way
• Audience has great deal of choice
• Reach large & vast audience
• Aim, messages to attract largest
audience as possible as
• Influence society & are in
turn influenced by society

5. Functions of Mass media
• Information
• Consensus
• Entertainment
• Advertising
• Development
– Development communication that
focuses on the needs of the
underprivileged & oppressed & their
socio-economic & cultural interests &
needs.

6. Advantages and disadvantages of
Mass Media
Advantages of Mass Media
• Reaches many people quickly
• Low cost per person reached
Disadvantages of Mass Media
• Difficult to make specific to local community
• Can be easily misunderstood
• Access often difficult
• Lacks feedback

7. Mass Media in Agriculture
• Information on agriculture, both crop and
livestock was communicated among farmers
from ancient times.
• However, with the development in agricultural
research, need arises to transfer new
information and technologies to the users i.e.
farmers.
• To fulfil this need, mass media like newspapers,
magazines radio, TV film and internet play a
vital role.
• What we know about the new information on
technologies, public figures and public affairs is
largely dependent upon what the mass media
told us about it.

8. Major objectives
• The major objective of mass media in
Agriculture development is
– to communicate the feasible farm technologies in
such a manner to attract the attention of farmers,
– help them to understand and remember the message
and
– ultimately facilitate them to take appropriate decision.

9. Agriculture
 Agriculture, also called farming or husbandry, is
the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi, and other
life forms for food, fibre, biofuel, medicinal and
other products used to sustain and enhance
human life.
 India ranks second worldwide in farm output.
 Agriculture and allied sectors
like forestry and fisheries accounted for 13.7% of
the GDP in 2013 about 50% of the total workforce.

10. Importance of Agriculture in India
(i) Share of Agriculture in National Income
 Agriculture has got a prime role in Indian economy.
 Though the share of agriculture in national income has come
down, still it has a substantial share in GDP : 55.4% in
1950-51, 52% in 1960-61 and is reduced to 18.5% only at
present.
 The share of the agricultural sector’s capital formation in
GDP declined from 2.2% in the late 1999s to 1.9% at
present.
(ii) Important Contribution to Employment
 Agriculture sector, at present, provides livelihood to 65 to
70% of the total population.
 The sector provides employment to 58.4% of country’s work
force and is the single largest private sector occupation.

12. (iii) Important Source of Industrial Development
 Various important industries in India find their raw material
from agriculture sector.
 Cotton and jute textile industries, sugar, vanaspati, etc. are
directly dependent on agriculture.
 Handloom, spinning oil milling, rice thrashing etc are
various small scale and cottage industries which are
dependent on agriculture sector for their raw material.
(iv) Importance in International Trade
 Agriculture accounts for about 14.7% of the total export
earnings.
 Besides, goods made with the raw material of agriculture
sector also contribute about 20% in Indian exports.
 Agriculture and its related goods contribute about 38% in
total exports of die country.

13. Role of Mass Communication in Agricultural
Development:
 The success of agricultural development programs in
developing countries largely depends on the nature and
extent of use of mass media in mobilization of people
for development.
 Press, Radio, Television, Internet, Mobile etc., have
been acclaimed to be the most effective media for
diffusing the scientific knowledge to the masses.
 In a country like India, where literacy level is low, the
choice of communication media is of vital importance.
 In this regard the television and radio are significant, as
they transfer modern agricultural technology to literate
and illiterate farmers alike even in interior areas, within
short time.

15.  The farmers can easily understand the operations,
technology and instruction through television.
 Increasing rate of literacy in the country offers new
promises and prospects for utilizing print medium as a
means of mass communication.
 At present, there are about 50 such radio units all over
the country.
 Agricultural journalism which came into existence five
decades ago is of recent origin in India.

16.  News paper
 Magazine ( general & public
interest)
 Journals
 Books
 Other: are leaflets, circular letters,
news letters, folders, banners, wall
news papers.

17.  Gives extensive coverage to a
large no. of items of interest
 Can be read by literate audience.

20.  Agricultural Journalism is now gaining importance,
particularly after the establishment of agricultural
university (AU) in India, technical information needs to
be provided to the farmers at the right time and in the
right way, so that the productivity can be increased.
 The role of the media in agricultural and rural
development was the topic of the 2009 annual seminar of
CTA (Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-
operation), an institution which works in the field of
information for development.
 Over 150 journalists, communication specialists and
development practitioners gathered in Brussels to discuss
the opportunities for the media to promote more effective
agricultural development.

21. Print media in
Agricultural Development
• Among the several mass media, newspaper
and farm magazine are commonly used.
• cheap & affordable; read as per convenience.
• permanent medium, permanently imprinted
message with high storage value making
them suitable for reference and research
also.
• high rate of literacy in the country offers new
promises & prospects for utilising print
medium as a means of mass communication.

22. Contd..
• plays a vital role in the
communication of Agricultural
information among the literate
farmers on improved agricultural
practices and also to inform the public
in general
• Agricultural journalism is of recent
origin in India.
• It came into existence just 5 decades
ago. It is now gaining importance,
particularly after the establishment of
AUs.

23. Contd..
• Technical information needs to be
provided to the farmers at the right
time and in the right way, so that the
productivity can be increased.
• India has farm magazines in every
state, published mostly in local
languages.
• Agricultural department also
encourages the publishing of such
farm magazines particularly through
farmers association.

24. Contd..
• Among the various types of mass media
sources, newspapers can support extension by
publishing news of various extension
activities, guidance and recommendations,
achievements, market news, research
findings, successful achievements and
problem faced by farming community etc.
• The green revolution and white revolution
could not have been come about so quickly
without the use of media like print media and
radio.

25. Popular magazine published from
India
• Indian Horticulture (semi-technical, bi-monthly magazine
in English)
• Indian Farming(monthly magazine in English)
• Kheti(monthly magazine in Hindi)
• Phal Phool(bi-monthly magazine in Hindi)
• Krishika(a half-yearly peer reviewed research journal in Hindi)
• Horticulture today
• Agriculture Today
• Agro India
• Modern Kheti
• Liesa India
• Farm Food

26. Contd..
• ICAR Reporter, English,
Quarterly
• ICAR News, English, Quarterly
• ARIS News, English, Quarterly
• Krishi Chayanika, Hindi,
Quarterly
Tamil
• Pasumai Vikatan, Fortnightly
• Naveena Velaanmai, Monthly
Telulgu
• ANNADATA, Monthly
Kannada
• KRISHIK BANDHU, Monthly
• Adike Patrike, Monthly
• Sahaja Samrudha
• Siri Samruddhi
• Sujatha Sanchike, Monthly
• Sahaja Saaguvali, Bi-Monthly
• Krishi Mithra, Monthly
Malayalam
• Bhoomi,

30. Television programs about agriculture
• Ating Alamin
• Country Calendar
• Green TV India
• Hariyali TV
• Krishi Darshan
• Today on the Farm

34. Bollywood movies about Indian
Farmers and their problems
• India is an agricultural country and major part
of tis GDP depends on the agriculture and
farming.
• So the farmers are the soul of the country and
if something is affecting theses farmers, the
whole country will feel the blow.
• Let’s have a look at the movies about Indian
farmers and their problems.

35. Mother India (1957)
• Mother India is a Hindi epic drama film directed by
Mehboob Khan.
• The film is a remake of Khan’s own 1940 film ‘Aurat’.
• The story of the film portrays a village women played
by Nargis who, in the absensce of her husband,
struggles to rise her sons and sustains against a wily
money-lender amidst many hardships.
• This women centric bollywood film shows the power of
a Indian women.
• The film was also India’s very first submission for the
academy award for best foreign language film in 1958.

36. Do Bigha Zameen (1953)
• Do Bigha Zameen is a Hindi film directed by
the famous Bengali director Bimal Roy.
• The story of the film revolves around a poor
farmer who becomes a rickshow puller in
order to pay his debts and save his land.
• The film was also the first to win the Filmfare
Best Movie Award.
• Do Bigha Zameen is one of the best movies of
Balraj Sahni.

37. Kissan (2009)
• Kissan is a Bollywood film based on farmer’s
suicides in India.
• Film’s story is set in Punjab and showcases a
father and his two sons; the elder moves to
the city and other stays with his father to
protect and cultivate his land.

38. Peepli Live (2010)
• Peepli Live is a Bollywood satirical film that
throws on the subject of farmer suicides and the
consequent media and political response.
• The film was also India’s official entry for the 83rd
Academy Award Best Foreign Film category.
• The story of the film features a farmer, Natha,
Who on the verge of failing to keep his family’s
farm, Natha, who on the verge of failing to keep
his family’s farm, arrives at a matchless solution
to his financial predicament: suicide.

39. Lagaan (2001)
• Lagaan is an Indian epic sports drama film
based on the imposition of unprecedented
land tax on the farmers of a small village.
• The film also became the third Indian film to
be nominated for the Academy Award for Best
Foreign Language Film.

40. Upkar (1967)
• Upaker is a Bollywood film directed by major
kumar aka Mr. Bharat.
• The film was an impression of the slogan ‘Jai
Jawaan Jai Kissan’ given by the Prime Minister
Lal Bahadur Shstri.
• The story of the film revolves around a village
man Bharat, who sacrifices everything to get
his brother educated.

41. • Information Super Highway &
The Network of Networks
• Helps in
– getting information
– Disseminate info by publishing, extension & teaching
– Compile information
Internet
(World wide web)

42. Uses of Internet
• knowledgesharing betweenthe agriculture
researchinstitutes,
• access tointernationalbest practices,
• informationsharing on public domain,
• onlinetradingand import-export.

43. Web-based ICT approaches
• Unilever’s iShakti
– they are attached to kiosks, known as telecenters
• aAQUA
– that work entirely online
wide range of web portals that act as information repositories
• TAU’s Agritech web portal.
• AGMARKNET
– launched during the 9th five-year plan, provides marketing information on the
latest commodity prices from 2,800 major agricultural produce wholesale
markets.
• Agropedia
• AGRISNET,
• DACNET,
• e-Krishi,
• the agribusiness portal Agriwatch,
• iKisan by the Nagarjuna fertilizer group (Saravanan 2010)
• e-krishaksahyogi by ISAP

44. Anytime, Anywhere Mobile
• Mobile phones are multifunctional devices.
• Extension can reach more clients through
mobile-based learning platforms—textual or
richer platforms, such as video—that provide
tips to farmers to improve agricultural skills and
knowledge.
• MMS, GPRS, WAP & GPS can also be utilised
effectively for extension.

50. Various Roles for Mobiles in Agriculture
GOAL METHOD
Education and
awareness
Information provided via mobile phones to
farmers and extension agents about good
practices, improved crop varieties, and pest
or disease management
Commodity prices and
market information
Prices in regional markets to inform decision
making throughout the entire agricultural
process.
Data collection Applications that collect data from large
geographic regions.
Pest and disease
outbreak warning &
tracking
Send and receive data on outbreaks.

51. Benefits
• Get you connected To markets
• Getting better prices
• Increasing yield
• Getting advices from experts
• Get connected to Kisaan call centres
Impact on adoption (Fischer et.al, 2009); De Silva et.al (2010)
•Important role to improve adoption of technologies at early stage
• Improves social and business network and help in faster spread of knowledge and
technology.

53. • Rapid expansion of Mobile phone penetration in
rural India(1.4 units per 100 people in 1995 → 51
units, or 1 per 2 persons, currently).
• initiatives using mobiles to communicate
information directly to farmers;
– IKSL (IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Ltd. in collaboration with
Airtel)
– Mandi on Mobile (BSNL and Uttar Pradesh Marketing
Board)
– Reuters Market Light &
– Nokia Life Tools.

54. Contd..
Most of these approaches provide market information
through SMS or voice messages, or question-and-answer
capabilities. To date there has been little evaluation of the
impact of these services on farm production.
• Other projects, such as e-Sagu and Lifelines, also use mobile
phones in combination with computing technology to provide
expert advice based on farmer queries.

55. Nokia life Tools : Agriculture
• Agriculture information in 18 local
languages providing
• market prices (up to 3 crops in 1-3 nearby
markets per subscription), daily weather
forecasts, news and advice (including
agronomy advice for select crops, best
practices, location-based agriculture news,
hyper-localized advice, and other
information).
• Market prices are collected from over 9,000
local markets on a daily basis for over 400
crops & commodities and crop advice is
managed by a team of agricultural experts.

56. Thank you