50-yr-old ‘Annadaata’ closed abruptly! Courtesy Jagan?

News on the closure of the 50-year-old Annadaata monthly magazine shocked the mediapersons in both the Telugu states. Annadaata is published by the Telugu media moghul Ramoji Rao’s group. The monthly magazine has been rendering commendable service to the farmers for the last five decades.

The editor of Annadaata, Amirneni Harikrishna, in a press release, informed the public that their publication would go out of circulation. Annadaata occupies an acclaimed position in the agriculture sector providing authentic and reliable information to the farmers about the modern farming methods, technological revolutions in farming, suggestions of agriculture experts, minimum support price of various crops, tips on efficient irrigation of crops, different cropping patterns and other agri-related matters. The magazine enjoyed the patronage of lakhs of farmers in the Telugu states for the last several years. It can be said that the all the farmers’ programmes on various TV channels were designed drawing inspiration from the Annadaata magazine.

In the press release, the editor said the changing media habits and technological innovations in dissemination of information have led to the closure of the publication. He said that a programme with a similar name on their TV channels was sufficient to keep the farmers informed about the changing trends and practices in agriculture and that the need for the publication was obsolete. Information is reaching people in a jiffy and in such a situation, the significance of the monthly magazine has diminished, he explained.

The numerous publications from the Eenadu Group, catering to the needs of different sections of the society, have substantial readership. The magazines from Eenadu include Chatura, Vipula, Sitara, Telugu Velugu, Bala Bharatam, Annadaata. Initially, the publication of Chatura and Vipula was halted and then Telugu Velugu and Bala Bharatam followed. Now, it is hard to digest that Annadaata is also following suit.

Ramoji Rao is known for his hard work and tough decisions while operating businesses. He would never hesitate to close down businesses that are not fetching profits. Following the report on the closure of the Annadaata magazine, there is buzz that the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government is behind the Eenadu publications running into trouble.

The farmers’ magazine had been in wide circulation in the Telugu states mainly due to Rythu Sanghams and various other agriculture-allied organisations in the Telugu states. It is learnt that the governments favouring Eenadu Group had undergone agreements for the free supply of the magazine to these organisations. The distribution of this magazine was done mainly through the postal department with subsidized charges. The Rythu Sanghams used to get the magazine in their offices and farmers could read it there. With the governments patronizing the magazine, Ramoji Rao never faced difficulties in its circulation.

However, after Jagan was voted to power, the dynamics have changed. The state government began publishing its own magazine for the farmers and put the same in circulation. This led to the scrapping of the agreement between the Annadaata magazine and the government and the circulation had dropped drastically. Moreover, there is talk that Annadaata could not compete with the modern modes of agriculture journalism and that the editorial team had failed to make the magazine attractive and useful for the farmers. The articles in the farmers’ magazine lack the modern outlook and approach to capture the market and it could one of the reasons for the dip in circulation.

With the subscription bills not being paid by the government, the magazine went into heavy losses and the Eenadu Group reportedly felt it could not carry forward with the publication.