FAO brings agriculture to the airwaves with Ziraa Tanna program

“Hello, and welcome to Ziraa Tanna,” has become a familiar greeting heard on radio airwaves across South Sudan every Friday evening.

Ziraa Tanna means Our Farm in Juba Arabic, and the radio program bearing that name has been broadcast on Eye Radio, Radio Miraya and several regional radio stations since 2020.

The radio show is produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

Every episode of Ziraa Tanna starts with a weather report, followed by expert advice for agricultural producers according to the weather, climate or seasonal conditions. Before the end of each broadcast, listeners also hear from other farmers, livestock keepers and fisher folk who share their experience and best practices.

Weather information allows communities to enhance their decision-making process, including regarding the prepositioning, type and timing of inputs. For example, advice given on Ziraa Tanna can help farmers know when the best time is to plant their crops, and which crops are best suited to current conditions.

“Access to information about weather events and climate information is crucial in addressing the vulnerability of farming communities and in enhancing the capacity of communities to manage weather and climate-related events and hazards in South Sudan,” says Meshack Malo, FAO Representative in South Sudan.

Particularly in the face of climate-change related weather conditions, Ziraa Tanna also gives tips on the actions farmers and cattle keepers should undertake to reduce risks to their livelihoods and maximize their production.

For example, when vast swaths of South Sudan were affected by flooding, Ziraa Tanna gave information on crops which are well-suited for wet conditions and provided advice on how to take advantage of the extra moisture to plant in areas where the flooding had recently receded. When flooding is a predictable risk, Ziraa Tanna gives advice on how to build dykes and when to move livestock to higher ground.

 Eye Radio Program Manager, Koang Pal Chang, says the show has been well received by the listeners.

“The Ziraa Tanna programme is both educative and informative to farmers in the country,” he notes.

“It gives timely updates of the weather forecast for the week in addition to vital information on farming in general such as crop handling, harvesting and storage, irrigation and soil fertility, and fishponds among others." 

Mike Okello is a listener of the programe.  He says he listened to Ziraa Tanna on Radio Miraya and learned about urban gardening— even if someone has only a small space, they can still plant vegetable seeds.

“I have understood which types of seeds can be planted in a vertical gardening,” explains Okello.

He says Ziraa Tanna has helped farmers improve their production, adding that he was also trained last year on home gardening.

“I want to thank you for what you have spoken over Eye Radio and Radio Miraya. I was moved because the agriculture information is very vital to our community.”

Since Ziraa Tanna debuted, it has fallen under projects funded by various donors. Right now, Ziraa Tanna is produced in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security under projects receiving support from the World Bank and the African Development Bank. Tune into Ziraa Tanna on Eye Radio, Friday evenings at 17.40 hours and rebroadcasts on Radio Miraya and community radio stations across the country.