multipurpose tree species research for small farms: strategies ... - part

generation of a substantial income from new
programs, higher profits, and the potential of
year-round employment could be prominent
themes in the message. Other messages worth
considering include themes such as reforestation to
improve crop production through soil and
moisttire conservation, tree planting to prevent
wind damage, and MPTS to save on the cost of
fodder, fuc, timber and to earn cash income,
The extension nit" siae should be simple to be
easily understood by toic farmers, so they don't
havc to discuss it wi'th others to understnd the
idea. It is better to develop a separate message for
each theme. Too many themes in one message may
have a diluting effect on ia!l the ideas,
The message should be direct, instead of vague.
(uite often, postcrs of the social forestry
departments carry slogans such as "Forestry for
Survival" or "Forestry Brings Prosperity" which may
not impress the farmers at all. If new messages
were presented. such its "A hectare of bamboo will
earn vou UIS$I10,() in 8 years" or "Make \,our
degraded land more protductive", the messages
would attract the attention of nore farmers.
The message should bc illustrated so that even
illiterate people would become curious enough to
learn more details ahout the message and its
theme. The message should bc repeated from time
to time, preferably with slight modifications and
additional infornmt ion, so the tatrget gr, routp does
not dismiss it as the sanmc old menssage. lie
message can be maie effcctivc and informative by
appropriate selection otf tIhe media.
In a social forestry programn undertakcn by
BAIF in Pune district, Maharashtra State, the field
officers utili ed this method to influence the
planting of specific tree species in areas where its
value was undcrutilicd, Vi onc of tIle villages,
Melia a:udrach was traditionally used as poles for
building rural houses. In that area tei demand for
Melia poles was very high and tie farmers we'e
able to sell 3-4 \-ear Old trees with a basal diimteter
of ciii for LI TS3 on-site. Ilowevcr, neither the
value of Melia nor the mairketability of tlie poles
were known to farmers in other villages in the
district.
MCssagCs indicating the usc of poles for
building liotwc', antl the profitability ol cultivatin g
Melia werc ic'i',n ible i in' lnrcsi'ng tlie ar a
planted by 5(XI', i lIhrec :aM,,
In another villagc of I'unc district w%-here
rainfall ranges from I,SMX(-2,5tH)mm, farmers have
successfully grown 'lh'Vws.ia popl/h'a on their
1001
paddy field bunds. These are pollarded every
three years to harvest 20-30 poles per tree, each
valued at US$2. Under this system it is possible
to establish at least 30l-40 trees/ha without
affecting the paddy crop and earn an annual
income of US$5M/ha. However, the potential
of planting T.po)idewa was unknownby most of
the villagers even within the same area. In these
places, compiling data on the income earned
from the polcs was extremely helpful in
motivating a large number of farmers to plant
Thespcsia on their field bunds and in their
homcgardcns.
In both cases income gcneration,
marketability and profitability were the
motivating forces to promote the cultivation of
these species. Although these trees produce a
significant quantity offoddcr and fuel while the
poles are being harvested, a message to grow
Melia and Thcspcsia for fodder and fuel would
not provide an adequate inccntive to plant
because such a message does not indicate a level
of profitability. In an area where dairy farming
is an important income generating activity,
information about fodder yields or saving on the
budet for purchased feeds would be likely to
motivate farmers to cultivate fodder species.
The theme of the message may vary according
to the level of participation and sttgc of the
project. While the message in the initial stage of
the project should be attractive to capture the
attention of the farmers to participate in the
tree planting program, subticqucnt messages
might focus on increasing productivity,
constrvation of natural resources, and
strengthening of infrastructure.
Media
The message intended for the target group
can be transmitted through a variety of media.
Some media are more effective than others.
I o\vc cr, the most important criteria for media
selection are accessibility to the target group
and cost. The following media can be utilized
for promoting cultivation of NI"S.
Radio
Radio programs have become very popular in
dcvcloping countries, with radios available at
low cost. The advant, ge of this media is that
farmers carry their radios to the field and listen
to the programs cvcn while working. Early
morning and evening arc the orinic times when
the villagers carefully listen tt the programs at