Mandate

The Mandate of the Department of Agricultural Services is to facilitate the development of a sustainable and diversified agricultural sector for food and nutrition security and income generation. This is in accordance with the Government Gazette Notice No. 1123 of 2021.

Vision

“A Smart and Value-centered department ensuring Food, Nutrition and Income Security”.

To realize the vision, the Department of Agricultural Services has identified three (3) themes. The thematic areas of focus and their related strategic results are as follows:

a) Agricultural Production and Productivity resulting into Sustainable Agricultural Growth

b) Partnerships resulting into Effective Stakeholder Coordination

c) Operational Excellence resulting into Effective and Efficient Service Delivery.

Mission

To ensure that the department performs well in the three (3) thematic areas, it has set for itself a Mission, which is “To facilitate Agriculture Production and Productivity for a diversified, competitive and sustainable agricultural sector”.

In executing the mission, department has committed to observing the following Core Values, namely;

Excellence, Integrity, Transparency, Accountability, Team work, and Impartiality

The following Strategic Objectives will be used to improve Service delivery: –

1. Improve Agricultural Production and Productivity;

2. Improve Agribusiness;

3. Improve Agriculture Research and Development;

4. Improve Stakeholder Coordination;

5. Improve Financial Management;

6. Improve Operational Management Systems;

7. Improve Human Capital; and

8. Improve Institutional Infrastructure, Tools and Equipment.

Sub Programme 1: Crop Production, Advisory and Technical Service

Objective: 

To disseminate proven technical agricultural technologies, information and practices to farmers for the purpose of increasing production and productivity

Agricultural extension also deals with all activities in the value chain i.e. marketing and market information, input supply, processing etc.

The Department is responsible for provision of extension, advisory and technical services to farmers on various aspects of crop production, irrigation development, agricultural mechanization 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).

Main Functions

·       Disseminating technical and other information to the farming community;

·       Providing technical services in irrigation, farm power, mechanisation and land

Husbandry;

·       Providing technical information in crop production, horticultural production,

·       Nutrition Improvement, crop protection and soil fertility.

·       Facilitating activities in the value chain i.e. marketing and market information, input supply, processing etc.

a.     Crop Section

Functions

·       To undertakes regularly training of staff and farmers to improve their technical skills and knowledge in  both field and horticultural  crops

·       To conducts regularly research in field crops in order to generate information for decision making  through piloting demos

·       To conduct timely development and implementation of extension methodology training programs in order to impart knowledge and skills to staff and farmers.

·       To conduct regularly technical backstopping and supervision to district staff in order to provide technical guidance and support

b.     Technical Branch Services (TSB)

Functions

·       Facilitate  promotion of Agricultural Mechanisation programs

·       Facilitate promotion of  Land Husbandry activities in the District

·       Facilitate promotion of Irrigation programs in the District

c.      Nutrition Section

Functions

·       To Co-ordinate timely the development and implementation of food and nutrition in order provide information to the farming community and the public.

·       provision of technical services and guidance to the farming community especially women,

·       nutrition and food nutritive value,

·       food utilisation,

·       household food processing,

·       Preservation and storage in order to improve knowledge and skills.

Sub Programme 2: Agribusiness and Marketing

Objective: 

To supervise and undertake the development and implementation of agribusiness programs of an agricultural marketing systems within the district in order to develop sustainable domestic and foreign markets for agricultural commodities and products.

Functions

·       Agricultural Marketing Information

·       Supervises and undertakes the timely collection, collation and dissemination of market information within the district in order to facilitate informed decision making by clients.

·       Agribusiness Programmes

·       Supervises and undertakes the timely development and Implementation of agribusiness programmes within the district in order to add value to primary agricultural products.

·       Agricultural Trade Promotion

·       Undertakes the timely development and identification of trade promotion programmes within the district in order to facilitate fair domestic and foreign agricultural trade.

·       Agricultural Marketing Research

·       Undertakes the timely conducting of marketing research within the district in order to generate information.

·       Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure

·       Coordinates and undertakes timely the identification of marketing infrastructural development needs and facilitates the rehabilitation and construction of marketing infrastructure within the district in order to improve market access.

·       Agricultural Finance Support

·       Coordinates effectively the development of sustainable agricultural financing and credit within the district in order to ensure resource available for agribusiness and Marketing

·       Monitoring and Evaluation

·       Ensures monitoring and evaluation of Agribusiness and Marketing programmes within the district in order to facilitate the implementation of appropriate interventions

Sub Programme 3: Agricultural Information Services

Objective: 

To develop and implement information programmes at the district in order to inform and educate the public.

Functions

·       Prepares and disseminates timely news articles on all agricultural programs for the purpose of informing the public.

·       Undertakes timely writing of feature articles on agricultural activities to educate and inform the public.

·       Ensure production of quality photographs regularly in order to make available for publications.

·       Conducts times recording of audio data in order to facilitate information dissemination.

·       Organises farm forums regularly in order to facilitate information exchange between farmers and radio producers.

·       Laisses regularly with agricultural stakeholders in order to keep the public abreast with latest developments in the agricultural sectors.

·       Coordinates agricultural events vested in the branch in order to achieve their specific objectives.

·       Develop and implement work plans to ensure timely and efficient information collection and dissemination.

·       Prepares agricultural and fisheries literature in order to facilitate timely production of information and educational publications.

·       Supervises effectively the development of individual and unit work plans in order to evaluate performance.

Services (Summary)

·       Designing and Production of Agricultural Teaching Aids,

·       Production of Agricultural Publications,

·       Agricultural Radio Broadcast,

·       Lima Time Television Programmes,

·       Audio-Visual Equipment,

·       Illustration and Translations,

·       Advertising,

·       Press and Public Relations

·       Editing

Sub Programme 4: Agricultural Coordination

Objective: 

Ensure efficient utilization of resources and effective service delivery in support of the operations of the Department of Agriculture.

 Functions

The section provides Management and Support Services to facilitate general operations of the department. Agricultural Coordination monitors and evaluates systems to ensure informed decision-making by management. This is achieved through strengthening the quality and timeliness of statistical information, and monitoring and evaluation systems among others.

 The section focuses on enhancing accountability and prudent utilization of resources, improving human resources development and management, effective running of district agriculture coordinating offices as well as strengthening planning, budgeting and financial management systems.