Agricultural Service Boards work under the authority of the Agricultural Service Board Act. Section 2 of the Act assigns duties to ASBs as follows:
Agricultural Service Board Act Section 2: Agricultural service board duties
(a) to act as an advisory body and to assist the council and the Minister, in matters of mutual concern,
(b) to advise on and to help organize and direct weed and pest control and soil and water conservation programs,
(c) to assist in the control of animal disease under the Animal Health Act,
(d) to promote, enhance and protect viable and sustainable agriculture with a view to improving the economic viability of the agricultural producer, and
(e) to promote and develop agricultural policies to meet the needs of the municipality.
The ASB Act works in conjunction with the Agricultural Pests Act, Soil Conservation Act, Weed Control Act and Animal Health Act to allow ASBs to fulfill their assigned duties under the ASB Act. Agricultural fieldmen are appointed under the Agricultural Pests Act, Soil Conservation Act and Weed Control Act as inspectors to allow them to fulfill their duty of protecting and managing the agricultural resources for their municipality.
Agricultural Service Boards 