National Agricultural Advisory, Education and Research Authority Act, 1977

Advisory functions.

15.—Without prejudice to the generality of section 11, the Authority shall, in relation to agricultural advice and instruction, have such functions as, immediately before the commencement of this section, were exercised or performed or were capable of being exercised or performed by committees of agriculture or by the Minister, and the Authority may, in particular—

(a) provide in each county an advisory service designed to assist farm families and others engaged in agriculture to make the best use of their resources and to encourage them, through the adoption of better practices and improved management, to increase output and income and to raise their standard of living generally;

(b) take steps to encourage, through co-operative effort and otherwise, improvement in the economic and social conditions of those engaged in agriculture in each county;

(c) provide for the dissemination of advice and instruction in agriculture by means of farm visits and otherwise;

(d) provide for giving advice on farm management;

(e) arrange for the conduct of field and livestock experiments and demonstrations;

(f) take steps to ensure that the results, as may be appropriate, of agricultural research are made known as speedily and as widely as possible to those engaged in agriculture;

(g) adopt measures to ensure that those engaged in agriculture—

(i) are fully informed as expeditiously as possible of schemes and facilities for the development of agriculture operated by the Minister and by other agencies, and

(ii) are encouraged to avail themselves of those schemes and facilities;

(h) provide and organise seminars, conferences and lectures in relation to agricultural advice and on specific problems and programmes in relation thereto.