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FTJ State Presidents and Vice Presidents

Agriculture Journalists Association of India (AJAI)

The Agriculture Journalists Association of India (AJAI) is India’s professional platform for agricultural journalism and agricultural communication, working to build a professional, inclusive and connected communication ecosystem from the village to the national and global level.

AJAI brings together agriculture journalists, editors, writers, photographers, broadcasters, digital journalists, YouTubers, social-media creators, podcasters, influencers, farmers, rural communicators, scientists, researchers, institutions, industry and other stakeholders committed to strengthening the voice of agriculture and rural India.

AJAI promotes credibility, professionalism, editorial independence, ethics, evidence-based communication, innovation and responsible use of technology. It provides opportunities for professional development, training, knowledge exchange, research, networking and collaboration across the agricultural ecosystem.

A central focus of AJAI is to strengthen communication at the grassroots. Through Farmer The Journalist (FTJ) and other initiatives, farmers, women farmers, rural youth and community communicators can become active voices in documenting local realities, sharing verified information and creating a stronger two-way connection between villages and institutions.

AJAI’s work is built around seven strategic pillars covering professional agricultural journalism; farmer and village communication; policy, governance and public engagement; industry, institutional and community engagement; knowledge, education, AI and innovation; research, data and agricultural intelligence; and global agricultural journalism and international cooperation.

As a full member association of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ), AJAI connects India’s agricultural journalism community with the global professional fraternity.

AJAI 2047

AJAI’s 2047 vision is simple and powerful:

ONE VILLAGE. ONE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATOR.

By 2047, AJAI envisions a nationwide network of trained, credible and connected agricultural communicators who can connect farmers, knowledge, evidence, media, markets, institutions and policymakers.

One Village. One Agricultural Communicator. One Connected Agricultural India.

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FTJ - Farmer the Journalist

Krishi Jagran's "Farmer the Journalist" (FTJ) initiative empowers farmers by training them in agricultural journalism. The program teaches skills like video making and content writing, enabling farmers to directly share their on-the-ground experiences, challenges, and successes. FTJ aims to amplify farmers' voices, providing their unique perspective on agricultural issues to a wider audience, including policymakers. Krishi Jagran supports these trained farmer-journalists by offering a platform for their content and recognizing their contributions. This initiative helps bridge the communication gap and brings authentic farmer narratives to the forefront.

FTJ

Message from the President

I have always believed that agriculture is the backbone of our Indian economy and, more importantly, the foundation of our society and the lives of millions of people. Yet, despite its immense importance, many of the challenges faced by farmers and rural communities remain unheard, underreported or insufficiently understood by those in a position to bring about change.

For years, I have repeatedly heard a simple but deeply important concern from farmers:

“Our voice does not reach the people who make decisions.”

That question lies at the heart of the Agriculture Journalists Association of India (AJAI).

AJAI was established with a clear purpose: to strengthen the connection between the field and the places where knowledge, public dialogue and policy decisions are shaped. We believe agricultural journalism must do more than report what happens in agriculture. It must listen, investigate, document, verify and communicate the realities of farmers and rural India with credibility and responsibility.

But agriculture communication is changing.

Today, the voice of agriculture does not come only from newspapers, magazines, radio and television. Farmers themselves are becoming communicators. Agriculture influencers, YouTubers, digital creators, podcasters, writers, photographers, researchers, scientists, institutions and Farmer The Journalists are playing an increasingly important role in shaping how agricultural knowledge, experiences and challenges reach society.

AJAI therefore seeks to bring this wider ecosystem together under one professional, inclusive and credible platform.

OUR VISION FOR AJAI 2047

ONE VILLAGE. ONE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATOR.

We envision a future where every village has someone capable of understanding, verifying, documenting and communicating the realities, innovations, challenges and opportunities of agriculture.

This is why AJAI is expanding the idea of agricultural journalism into the broader concept of the Agricultural Communicator. An Agricultural Communicator can connect the field with knowledge institutions, markets, media, public systems, policymakers and society, creating a meaningful two-way flow of information.

Our work is built around seven interconnected pillars:

Professional Agriculture JournalismFarmer & Village CommunicationPolicy, Governance & Public EngagementIndustry, Institutional & Community EcosystemKnowledge, Education, AI & InnovationResearch, Data & Agriculture IntelligenceGlobal Agriculture Journalism & International Cooperation

Our responsibility is not merely to speak for agriculture.

It is to listen to agriculture first.

Through Farmer The Journalist (FTJ), AJAI is creating pathways for farmers and rural communities to tell their own stories, document their realities and become active participants in agricultural communication.

And as we celebrate the voice and contribution of women in agriculture, we are equally committed to ensuring that women farmers are not merely subjects of stories, but storytellers, communicators and voices of change themselves.

WFTJ – WOMEN FARMER THE JOURNALIST

NOW WOMEN WILL SPEAK.

INDIA WILL LISTEN.

THE WORLD WILL FOLLOW.

WFTJ is a special AJAI initiative aligned with the spirit of the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, creating opportunities for women farmers to document their farms, share their knowledge, communicate their challenges, showcase their innovations and bring their experiences into the wider public conversation.

Because the woman farmer should not always be the person being spoken about.

She must also be the person speaking.

Our guiding communication chain is:

FIELD → COMMUNICATION → KNOWLEDGE → EVIDENCE → POLICY → PUBLIC → FIELD

This is the ecosystem we want to build.

As we look towards 2047, AJAI will work to strengthen professionalism, credibility, inclusiveness, evidence-based communication, innovation and independence in agricultural journalism and communication. We want to build a community that connects India’s agricultural voices with one another, with institutions and with the wider global agricultural journalism fraternity.

At the end of the day, our purpose remains deeply human.

The hands that feed the nation deserve to be heard.

The farmer who creates, struggles, innovates and perseveres deserves a voice.

The woman who nurtures a farm and sustains a family deserves a platform.

And every village deserves an opportunity to tell its own story.

AJAI is committed to making those voices stronger, that communication more credible, and that connection more meaningful.

Because when agriculture speaks,

INDIA MUST LISTEN.

M. C. DominicFounder & PresidentAgriculture Journalists Association of India (AJAI)

AJAI Director