Communication in national rodent management programmes

Despite of various national and international activities regarding the management of rodent pest populations, many recent publications still bemoan the fact that technical recommendations and control programmes are not implemented or sustained. The author is of the opinion that most programmes emphasise the aspect of technical solutions and overlook the importance of communicating the appropriate information to the relevant people at the right time. Therefore, for programmes to be successful, they should include a comprehensive communication component, which goes beyond merely passing technical information to farmers. This paper discusses and describes the need to motivate farmers to implement technical solutions; why and how to include intermediaries, who carry messages and physical inputs to the farmers, into a communication plan; and the role of decision makers, who are instrumental in legitimising local activities necessary for the success of a programme. Based on the experience in several countries, the author argues for the need of including a communication component into a rodent management programme and describes some relevant aspects necessary in designing such a component.