Experts for effective agricultural science media
Effective agricultural science and research communication have been touted as a vital tool that Malawi “cannot do without” for the advancement of the agriculture sector in the region.
The remarks were made on Monday in Lilongwe at the beginning of a week-long Journalist’s Training Workshop on Communicating Agricultural Science for Impact workshop organised by the Department of Agricultural Extension Services (DAES) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development.
The workshop, aimed at building communication capacity of science journalism in the country, has a special bias towards empowering media practitioners to better communicate agricultural research to the public which experts argue will result in wellbeing for all.
Director of agricultural research services Wilkinson Makumba reiterated the significance of an effective media for the development of the sector.
Said Makumba: “If media is to cover agricultural scientific research and do it in a way that delivers impact to the benefit of the people, it will have to be done in a way that is accessible, so that people are able to digest the scientific information and apply it in their day-to-day lives.
“As such, the intersection between agricultural science and media cannot be overstated.”
In her remarks, New Alliance Policy Acceleration Support: Malawi Project (Napas) chief of party Flora Nankhuni called for more research in Malawi to benefit the locals first before it is appreciated by the global community.
