The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Answer a question and win a calf !

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 12, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Answer a question and win a calf !

This is not exactly the farm edition of `Kaun Banega Crorepati.' Sponsors of the half-hour Krishi Darshan programme on Doordarshan's Malayalam channel have come up with a host of farmer-friendly prizes, ranging from cross-bred calves to rubber tapping kits, for those who give the correct answers to questions on farming activities posed on the show.

The prizes, all home-delivered, appear to have struck the right chord. G. Sajan, Assistant Director, Doordarshan, says the response has been tremendous. Doordarshan Kendra, Thiruvananthapuram, receives between 200 and 250 letters after the Friday phone-in programme during which the question for the week is posed. A lot of these letters might well be inspired by the novelty of the prizes.

Krishi Darshan programme, telecast Monday to Friday between 6 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., was launched in May this year as a joint venture between Prasar Bharati and the Union Agriculture Ministry, with a provision of over Rs.300 crores for two years. The show aims at reaching millions of farmers across the country through 18 major language channels of Doordarshan.

The show seems to enjoy considerable popularity among the farmers in Kerala with Doordarshan reaching virtually every household with a television set. The prizes, from the State Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Department, appear to have done a star turn for the programme. In general, the prizes on offer are bound to arouse a lot of interest among farmers.

K.A. Martin

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