Two Nation Media Group journalists have won awards in agriculture.

By Michael J. Ssali

CAMBRIDGE- UK-The Daily Monitor’s Lominda Afedraru emerged the best science writer in the two-year- media fellowship --- Bio-sciences for Farming in Africa.

Mr Isaac Khisa of The EastAfrican emerged the best business coverage writer and he was praised for his in-depth coverage by the judges, Julia Vitullo-Martin and Sharon Schmickle --- both senior journalists based in the US.

Ms Lominda was praised for her active, intensive and accurate coverage of agricultural science farming activities and bio-technology development in Uganda.

About 160 journalists from Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda participated in the fellowship that was coordinated in Cambridge University with funding from the John Templeton Foundation based in the USA

Nineteen of the best performing journalists were invited to spend a week-long meeting in the UK and to attend the crowning events of the fellowship.

The journalists were graded according to the quality of their published or broadcast work over the two-year-period of the fellowship.

Other award winners included Mr Pascal Boris Bagonza of Uganda’s Radio Sapienzia, who was praised for carrying out the best radio coverage of farming and food security issues.

Ms Arthur Adelaide of Multimedia Group/Joy News in Ghana emerged the best TV farming journalist in the fellowship. Mr Abdallah el Kurebe of Nigeria’s Newswatch Magazine/Vanguard was another winner praised for his in-depth coverage.

Mr Akiwunmi Kole Dawudu of News Agency of Nigeria was said to have presented the best ‘body of work-spot news’ by the judges, while Mr Said Mmanga of Changamoto Media Limited, Tanzania, scooped the award for the best coverage in an African Language (Kiswahili).

The award took place at St Edmund College Cambridge on April 10. The function also was attended by several other agricultural scientists from the UK, Africa, the USA, India and the Philippines.

See the story: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/NMG-journalists--win-international-agriculture-awards/-/688334/2280914/-/jhv85az/-/index.html