In ACP countries, agriculture is the essential part of the national economy. Most of these countries, however, have low agricultural production, although they have enormous potential for development in this sector. Making best use of appropriate information is one of the factors essential to the full exploitation of this potential.

The Technical centre for agricultural and rural cooperation (CTA) was created in the context of the ACP-EU Lomé convention, its task being to enable better access by African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to information, to the results of research, as well as to innovations in the sectors of agricultural and rural development.

In 1984, the CTA had organised in Montpellier (France) an international seminar on scientific and technical information (STI) for agricultural and rural development in order to define the broad lines of programmes to be implemented to accomplish its task. This seminar had highlighted the importance of radio as a communication and information tool at the service of the rural populations of ACP countries. On the basis of these recommendations, the CTA launched various activities in the field of rural radio.

The workshop organised in 1989 in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) enabled the Centre to put into place a genuine programme of support to rural radio journalists to improve the dissemination of technical agricultural information. In realising this programme, which includes organising regional recycling workshops and supplying technical information dossiers, the CTA makes use of networks and other structures working in ACP countries.

The present list of names and addresses covers all these partners who make up the vital links in the process of rural information. It lists journalists, producers, rural radio broadcasters, local and national, or agricultural information services and training centres of 70 ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) countries.

The list also includes resources persons who are active in the fields of training, information and technical and methodological support, independent
experts, the heads of national, regional, international, nongovernmental organisations and of international radio stations.

The CTA hopes that the wide distribution of this list among those active in rural radiophonic information, in the North and the South, will facilitate regional and inter-regional contacts and exchanges and will contribute to a better use of the potentialities of radio to the benefit of the rural world.
D. Assoumou Mba
Director of the CTA