In mid eighties, arecanut market crashed. The crisis continued for years. At that time, All India Areca Growers Association ® (AIAGA), an areca nut (betel nut) farmers’ welfare organization, decided to bring a bulletin for areca farmers.
Three trial issues of Areca News were very well received. Inspired by this success, AIAGA decided to launch a full-pledged farm monthly, Adike Patrike. Adike Patrike, born in 1988 November, was released by Jnanapeetha award winner late Dr Shivarama Karanth.
The magazine too was well received. As its administration and finances demanded more attention, a separate body, Farmer First Trust (FFT) ® was formed by AIAGA. FFT has been shouldering the responsibility of administration and publication of Adike Patrike since 1998.
Running in 30th year, Adike Patrike, though not a commercial magazine, is professional in its approach. It’s very punctual at news-stands. From the beginning, we have been publishing cover stories. Lions-share of the articles is exclusive. Good number out of that are commissioned ones. Many of our readers preserve their old issues in book bound form for future reference. This is a testimony for our magazine’s quality.
In the last three decades, we have run many a movements through our magazine. It was we who popularized the concept of Krishikara Kaige Lekhani (Pen to farmers’ hands – Farmer to farmer communication) and self-help journalism. Through a series of journalism workshops, we have trained hundreds of farmers to write for their fellow-farmers.
We were the pioneers to advocate poison free farming in early nineties. From mid nineties, our focus was to popularize Rain Water Harvesting. Value addition at farm level was the next focus. Next decade we switched over to campaigning for jackfruit development. In each of these movements, we were able to make distinct foot-prints in society.
