This Ministerial Order, consisting of 24 articles divided into five Chapters, establishes the Functional Organic structure of the Directorate-General for Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (called DGA of MAP). The Directorate-General for Agriculture is a service that integrates the direct administration of the State within the scope of the MAP and is responsible for ensuring guidelines and integrated coordination of all MAP services with attributions in the areas of agriculture. The DGA of MAP has the following tasks: a) Collaborate in designing policies, programmes and plans relevant to agriculture, namely in the definition of an integrated soil and subsoil management plan and in the implementation of a biodiversity conservation strategy; b) Coordinate the implementation of policies, plans, programmes and strategies in the field of agriculture at national and municipal levels; c) Ensure a sustainable, efficient and effective management of agricultural resources and the conservation of the country's biological diversity, in coordination with other services; d) Promote the integration of environmental policy in the agriculture sector; e) Promote rural and agricultural development, namely by coordinating the implementation of technical support programmes for agricultural and rural development and by cooperating with relevant national and international organizations; f) Encourage the implementation of measures that promote the adoption of alternative methods to the use of pesticides in agricultural production; g) Adopt the necessary measures to promote the creation of technical support centers for farmers; h) Coordinate the formulation and implementation of strategies that promote sustainable agricultural food production; i) Submit to the Minister a periodical report, etc. The Directorate-General for Agriculture include: the National Directorate for Agriculture and Horticulture; and the National Directorate for Irrigation and Water Use Management.