Agricultural Extension Services
Agricultural Extension Services
Vision
All farmers demand and access high quality agricultural extension services.
Mission
To provide demand driven Agricultural extension services in partnership with civic, NGO, private and farmer organisations and to promote equalisation and coordination in service provision in order to achieve food, nutrition and income security.
Mandate
To coordinate all technical departments of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development in the delivery of agricultural extension services.
Implementation Arrangements
The Department implements its activities through Agricultural Development Divisions which are located in eight ecological zones of the country:
The Department operates in all 28 districts of the country and offers various services to farming communities through its specialised sub-branches.
Extension Service Branches
The Department delivers extension support through specialised branches responsible for key areas of agricultural service delivery.
Extension Methodologies and Systems
Responsible for developing extension approaches and systems for extension delivery.
Agricultural Communication Branch
Responsible for developing and distributing print and electronic agricultural messages.
Agribusiness Development
Responsible for promoting commercialisation of agriculture.
Policy Guiding Principles
Demand-Driven Service Delivery
Agricultural extension services are guided by the needs and demands of farmers and farming communities.
Pluralism of Service Delivery
Promoting participation by different actors in the provision of agricultural extension services.
Cost Recovery and Cost Sharing
Encouraging appropriate approaches to cost recovery and cost sharing in service provision.
Participation and Community Empowerment
Promoting participatory approaches and empowering communities to contribute to agricultural development.
Services Offered
The Department provides a range of services supporting agricultural development and farming communities.
Regulatory Services
Provision of regulatory services supporting agricultural extension and related activities.
Inspection
Inspection services supporting compliance and quality within agricultural activities.
Extension and Training
Agricultural extension, training and capacity development services for farming communities.
Veterinary Investigations, Diagnostics and Research
Provision of veterinary investigations, diagnostics and research services.
Human Resource and Administration
Provision of human resource and administrative support services.