Utilization of Megha sandesha - A weather-based forecast programme over all India radio, Kalaburagi

Megha Sandesha is a programme broadcast over All India Radio (AIR) Kalaburagi that broadcasts information on weather. Despite the programme's broad scope, including weather forecasts, emergency advisory tips, and agricultural information, the extent to which farmers use and benefit from these messages varies. There is a need to understand the factors influencing farmers' engagement with the programme, the specific types of information they prioritize, and the overall impact on their decision-making and agricultural productivity. Hence, the results of the present study aim to analyze the purpose of registering for this programme and the utilization pattern. The present study was conducted during the year 2021-22 in four districts of Karnataka. An ex-post facto research design was followed in conducting the investigation. A purposive random sampling procedure was used in the selection of respondents, with a sample size of 120 radio listeners. The results of the study reveal that more than half of the respondents (61.66%) had utilized weather and weather-related information to a maximum extent, and 38.00 percent had used it to some extent, followed by (56.66%) who had utilized emergency advisory tips to a maximum extent and 43.33 percent who utilized information to some extent. It is observed that more than half of the respondents (61.66%) used Megha Sandesha programme information to the 'maximum extent’ for advisory tips and (54.16%) used it for the adoption of production recommendations. The Megha Sandesha program was of assistance to the farmers since it provides weather updates that assist in making decisions regarding immediate or future farming activities.