ABSTRACT
The National Agricultural Advisory Service (N.A.A.S.) exists to give farmers and horticulturalists in England and Wales free scientific and practical advice on any aspect of farming and horticulture. The county agricultural adviser is in charge of each county unit and usually is a general agriculturist. N.A.A.S. officers make about 400,000 visits to farms and smallholdings every year to discuss problems on the spot. N.A.A.S. is organized from a central headquarters in London through eight regions, with a unit in each county. Although N.A.A.S. is part of the Ministry of Agriculture, it emphasizes its independence of government agricultural policy. ‘All members of the N.A.A.S. have full freedom to give technical and economic advice which they think best suited to the circumstances of the particular farm or holding. However, N.A.A.S. is increasingly involved in the activities of the Ministry of Agriculture, and its officers have to give advice and opinions on a number of grant-aid schemes.
