The government-approved 120 percent increase in the cost of seed will impact negatively on farmers and agricultural production, analysts and farmers predict.
The government-approved 120 percent increase in the cost of seed will impact negatively on farmers and agricultural production, analysts and farmers predict.

• Illustrate how to mainstreaming gender in news.
• Demonstrate how to develop news analysis stories.
• Show pointers on sources and on the use of data.

Trainer’s notes:

Genre

The story is news analysis because it looks at how the new price of seeds will impact on farmers and agricultural production. The story indicates that the ‘news angle’, was the actual announcement of new controlled prices for seeds by the Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Rural Resettlement.

This story is what is normally classified  as a “reaction” piece, because it gives reactions to an announcement from the various stakeholders affected, thereby providing some insight into the likely outcome.

And, the sources are primarily officials, speaking on behalf of farmers: Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union President, Indigenous Commercial Farmers Union director, General Manager of the Zimbabwe Seed Trade Association, leader of the Indigenous Business Women’s Organisation. The occupation of the unidentified male source is unknown; Mr Kupara of Goromonzi’s occupation is not given; Mr Ndoro is a traditional healer; and Ms Kazembe is a newly resettled farmer.

Training tip: Women and men farmers affected by the price increase in a major agricultural input are the minority sources in this story. Discuss with trainees the reasons for this.

Pointer: The positioning of women’s voices in a story  the media defines as ‘hard news’ or a ‘mainstream issue’ is often a subtle message of the value placed on what women have to say.

What’s missing

• The announcement comes in the wake of the ongoing controversial land reform programme, yet the story does not situate the seed price increase in this context. Therefore, relevant background on the land reform programme and the impact it has had on the farming sector is missing from the analysis.
   

• Agriculture is the mainstay of Zimbabwe’s economy, yet no facts are given on the sector’s contribution to economic growth, and the impact of the land reform programme on this growth.
   

• Who are the key players in the agricultural sector? Women play a key role in food security in Zimbabwe and this is a vital piece of the missing background information, and contributes to the importance of women’s voices in the story. Have women become key beneficiaries of the land reform programme in all farming sectors?

A more substantive and informative analysis would tell the reader if women subsistence farmers, who grow food for the household, and small-scale farmers (women and men) are more likely to bear the brunt of the price increase and why.

Use of data

• For example, how many farmers are there in the country who will be affected by the increase in seed price? How many of the farmers are commercial, small-scale, or subsistence?
   

• Women are known to be key players in the agricultural sector? Where are they—how many are commercial , small-scale, or subsistence farmers?

Training exercises

Exercise one: Read the case study and discuss the following:

Download : New seed prices exhorbitant