Agriculture agency, mass media and farmers: A combination for creating knowledgeable agriculture community

Mass media power in disseminating agriculture information to the farmers is essential, but the main question now, does the Department of Agriculture Malaysia as one of the main agriculture agencies in Malaysia, wisely utilize all the mass media sources to disseminate the valuable agriculture information to the farmers and their officers? Data was gained through three ‘focus group discussions’. The Department of Agriculture Malaysia has produced 20 types of printed publications and they are also one of the major sources for radio and television agriculture programs aired at Radio Television Malaysia and Selangor FM. Besides, the Department of Agriculture Malaysia also provides sources for agriculture newspaper insert for Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian. The Department of Agriculture Malaysia has its’ own website which is www.doa.gov.my for the public and the Agris Geo Portal for their staff. Some of the printed publications that do not reach the grassroot level, finance and delayed information received are among the problems faced by the Department of Agriculture Malaysia. The Department of Agriculture Malaysia has yet to establish specific evaluation process for their printed and electronic publications, but for their website, they have internal and external evaluation. The Department of Agriculture Malaysia should encourage other daily newspapers such as Harian Metro, The Star, Sin Chew Jit Poh and Tamil Nesan to have their own agriculture newspapers insert. It is recommended that programs and publications on agriculture should be increased. The best way to make it is through cooperation between the Department of Agriculture Malaysia and giant agriculture based companies. The farmers should be provided with the schedule of the date of the Department of Agriculture Malaysia publications to be disseminated to the farmers, the air time of television and radio program and the list of agriculture agencies websites.