As provided for under the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) Act, 2001, the mandate of NAADS is to contribute to the modernisation of the agricultural sector in order to increase total factor productivity of both the land and labour for the benefit of the farmers. Its objectives and functions are to:
- Promote food security, nutrition and household incomes though increased productivity and market oriented farming;
- Empower farmers to access and utilise contracted agricultural advisory services;
- Develop private sector agricultural advisory delivery capacity and systems and assure quality of advice.
NAADS executes its mandate and functions though it’s Board, a Secretariat and through farmers’ fora. The composition of NAADS Board includes farmers (including women and youths), representatives of the agro industry, a representative of MAAIF, representative of the ministry or agency responsible for coordination and monitoring of government programmes, representative of another government ministry or agency and the Executive Director. The farmers’ fora through which NAADS operates include:
a) Village or parish groups
b) Existing farmers group, association or cooperative
c) Sub-county Farmers Forum – linked to the District Farmers Forum and Secretariat
d) District Farmers Forum – linked to the National Farmers Forum and NAADS Secretariat
e) National Farmers Forum
NAADS is working in pursuit of the national development framework of Poverty Eradication Agenda, which is guided by the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP). NAADS overall supervision is vested in the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF). The programme was officially launched in March 2002.
NAADS is one of the seven components under the Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA), the planning framework of the government for the transformation of subsistence agriculture to market oriented for commercial production. NAADS programme aims to redress past shortcomings in the provision of the agricultural extension services through far reaching reforms and innovative approaches in service delivery.
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