The Agricultural Extension Office was founded with the aim of assisting farmers to improve the management of their resources through Assistance, Technical Advice and Training programs. The first office was opened in Spain in 1953, and in 1990 competences were transferred to regional councils.
In response to the latest European agricultural policy guidelines, these objectives were broadened to include the promotion of socioeconomic development in rural areas.
The program is run by Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Offices>who after an annual analysis of the state of agriculture, design and implement year-long objective-based action plans with a view to achieving the overarching objectives of the program.
A variety of courses are organized as part of this annual action plan, with special emphasis on technology for the agricultural sector and rural communities in general.
Services offered
- Assistance to farmers, technical guidance and support in lodging and processing claims for aid.
- Improvements in agricultural production techniques, especially in terms of training programs for farmers, experimentation and dissemination of information.
- Improvement in plant protection, supported by the Insular Network of Alert Stations, as well as experimental plots and plague and disease monitoring systems.
- Improvement in irrigation and fertilization efficiency, based on data obtained from banana and tomato plantation alert stations.
- Promotion of environmentally-friendly farming practices, especially with respect to waste, use of agrochemicals, water and fertilizers, and integrated and organic production techniques.
- Promotion of socioeconomic development of the regions of Tenerife, supporting the creation of networks to consolidate this development.
- Fostering of sustainable development in rural areas.
- Favoring of the implementation of environment-friendly activities.
- Provision of guidance and support in establishing innovative and employment-generating business initiatives and the promotion of activity diversification.