Volume 12: Livestock Farming
7. Sources of expertise and advice to farmers
Agriculture Departments
General advice and promotion programmes

General advice and promotion programmes

7.3 Since the Second World War the UK's Agriculture Departments have provided appropriate advice to farmers so that the efficiency of production systems could be improved on a national scale. In England and Wales a close relationship developed whereby MAFF, mainly through ADAS (and before 1971 its predecessor, the National Agricultural Advisory Service), advised farmers on good farming practice, and in turn, farmers approached ADAS when advice was needed.

7.4 At the time BSE emerged, MAFF operated an advice and promotion programme, through ADAS, to transfer the latest technology to farmers and growers, and to help improve the efficiency and competitiveness of agriculture. This programme covered animal health, agricultural efficiency, land management, and advice as required by statute. ¹

7.5 MAFF issued various publications providing advice to the industry. Most of these publications were based on work done by ADAS. For example, Codes of Practice provided farmers with guidelines to help them ensure their farming practices complied with relevant legislation, ² while technical bulletins, circulars, information leaflets and booklets provided further help on a wide variety of topics relevant to farming.