The purpose of this chapter is to provide all types of agricultural services, with or without economic subsidies, to promote the development of farming and animal husbandry enterprises, and of agriculture in general. It further seeks to achieve the stability and permanence of the farmers in the cultivation of their land through the following means:
(a) Agricultural management, planning and counseling.
(b) Providing adequate credit to the farmer.
(c) Guaranteeing security in business transactions and reasonable prices for farm produce to said farmer.
(d) Offering the farmer technical advice and other services related to farming and animal husbandry activities which are compatible with the conservation of the environment and the use of sound soil, aquifer, subterranean river and surface water conservation practices.
(e) Promoting the organization of agro-industrial projects.
(f) Making agricultural services as accessible to the farmer as possible and integrating the direct rendering of all the agricultural services offered by the Administration at the regional office level.
Farmers shall be encouraged to participate in the industrialization and marketing of farm and animal husbandry products so that they may profit from said activities, in addition to the product of their farming activities.
Farmers shall be encouraged to use the best practices available for environmental, soil, aquifer, subterranean river and surface water conservation when all the services inherent to the public policy set forth in this section are rendered.
The financial resources presently appropriated to agriculture, as well as all available federal and private means, shall be used effectively to achieve the development of modern and efficient farming activities with specific agricultural production goals.
History —June 7, 1977, No. 33, p. 62, § 4; June 5, 1985, No. 29, p. 99, § 5; Sept. 19, 1997, No. 122, § 1.