The Agricultural Department is considered the primary provider of the extension agricultural extension service .The overall focus for the department is to enable the farmers make informed decisions so as to increase their production and productivity.
The Department is responsible for provision of extension, advisory and technical services to farmers on various aspects of crop production, irrigation development, agricultural mechanisation and land husbandry. The Department provides a key interface with the farmers through the extension staff who are present at district and community levels (agricultural blocks and camps).
The main functions of the Department include:-
Agricultural Mechanisation Section;
The Branch is responsible for the provision of Crop Production Technologies in the following areas:
The Crops Production Branch will therefore serve as an interface between agricultural research and extension services to the lowest level of contact with the farmers, as well as with other relevant organisations, institutions and key stakeholders on crop production matters.
The Branch will be headed by a Deputy Director and will comprise three main Sections each responsible for specific areas of crop production as follows:-
The Agricultural Advisory Services Branch will facilitate timely dissemination of relevant agricultural extension information relating to activities such as crops production, farm management, extension methodology, food and nutrition to enable farmers make enlightened agricultural decisions. In addition, the Branch will facilitate the provision of technical services and guidance to the farming community in order to increase production and productivity.
The Agricultural Advisory Branch will comprise the following two Sections; each to be headed by a Chief Agricultural Officer and responsible for specific specialised functions:-
The Food and Nutrition Section will be headed by a Chief Food and Nutrition Officer and will facilitate the provision of technical services and guidance to the farming community especially women in areas of nutrition and food nutritive value, food utilisation, household food processing, preservation and storage in order to improve knowledge and skills.
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