A single episode of Sajha Sawal achieved something that the Agriculture Ministry had not been able to in several years.
Sajha Sawal’s presenter Narayan Shrestha remembers how Dr Kedar Budhathoki's appearance on the show boosted tomato production and people’s livelihoods across the country.
“I present Sajha Sawal, a weekly TV and radio panel show that offers the opportunity for the people of Nepal to participate in debate.
Those who have been traditionally overlooked or ignored are encouraged to speak up, use their voices, and share ideas or ask questions about issues that affect them.
Pioneering techniques
One week, we broadcast an episode from the farm of Dr Kedar Budhathoki in Nakkhu, Lalitpur. A former government scientist, Dr Budhathoki had been a promising but little known horticulturalist before retiring to his tomato farm. That all changed after he appeared on Sajha Sawal.
Dr Budhathoki explained his techniques to improve yields and the economics of how to boost production.
The audience response was overwhelming. Nepal, a country that had been importing tomatoes by the tonne suddenly woke up to new opportunities.
The programme's postbag was huge and knowledge spread quickly. It even attracted unemployed people to the business and transformed thousands of farmers' livelihoods.
The impact of this one programme appearance was profound – Nepal is now not only self-sufficient but also exports tomatoes.
Dr Budhathoki, himself a government official for many years, said: "A single episode of Sajha Sawal has achieved something that the Agriculture Ministry had not been able to achieve in several years.""
This story was compiled by ±«Óãtv Media Action's Kirsty Cockburn who was in conversation with Narayan Shrestha. Watch Narayan talking about Dr Kedar's story in this film.
External links
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