copyright 2010, the world bank group. all rights reserved. agricultural statistics part 1a...

Copyright 2010, The World Bank Group. All Rights Reserved.

Agricultural statistics part 1A

Demarcation and principles

Business Statistics and Registers


Components of a National Agricultural Statistical System


Frame for agricultural statistics• The Census of Population and Housing

provides an underpinning to the entire National Statistical System including agriculture

• Ideally the census should include a small number of questions on agriculture

• On that basis Agricultural Censuses and Surveys can be designed


Agricultural Census (1)

• A key element in the system of Agricultural statistics is the Census of Livestock and Agriculture

• In developed countries farms generally represent a small share of the total economy and can reasonably be collected on a 100% basis

• In most African countries over half the household practice agriculture

• For this reason most African countries can only afford to undertake a census of large agricultural holdings


Agricultural Census (2)• The Census of Agriculture ideally should

collect essentially structural information that will change slowly over a 10 year period

• A register of large farms should be maintained for sampling purposes

• The Census of Agriculture will use the information from the Census of Population in the design of its sample of medium and small farms


Other agricultural surveys• A number of other surveys are built on the

basis of these decennial statistical operations• This should include: – An annual agricultural survey – Short-term crop and livestock surveys– A system of price statistics – An early warning system – Administrative data on agriculture and livestock


Special agricultural surveys

• Some topics could be covered in special surveys to allow the estimation of crops

• Administrative data can be used for some types of data• Some areas in which administrative data can be useful

would include: • Cattle stocks from registration or vaccination counts • Animals slaughtered at abattoirs or sold in formal markets • Support to farmers in terms of improved seeds, supply of fertilizers and other inputs • Export information


Some principles• Maintaining questionnaires at a reasonable size• Developing tabulation plan at the same time as the questionnaire• Questionnaire should not contain any questions that are not going to

be used in the tabulations and analysis• Care also needs to be taken in the design of the questionnaire• For large scale surveys answers should be pre-coded as much as

possible• The proper time to conduct a survey is an important consideration• Crop surveys conducted after harvest give very little advance warning

of impending food shortages• Seasonal crops may require more than one visit per year


Indicators• Agricultural statistics measure the stocks and

flows in agriculture under the following headings: – Crops– Horticulture and floriculture– Livestock, poultry and other animals– Aquaculture – Purchased inputs and investments– Paid labor– Equipment and capital stock– Prices paid and received by farmers


Crops measurement• Main food and cash crop statistics measure the quantity of crop

production

• Measurement options are:

1. At a minimum, the NSO should determine the quantity of crop produced on an annual basis after the harvest has been completed.2. In order to be able to get an advance indicator (in advance of the end of harvest), NSO’s can determine the land area devoted to the crop, and carry out a yield survey. 3. For commercial products (those sold commercially and traded internationally) measurements of product in storage positions enables an assessment of total supplies and carryover stocks.

• Fruit crop, horticulture and floriculture statistics measure the area cultivated and the value of production or sale


Livestock and fish measurement• Livestock, poultry and other animals statistics are about determining the

inventories of animals by species and the annual production of products such as meat, milk, eggs, wool, and hides

• Measurement options are:1.Inventories by type of animal2.Inventories by type of animal, gender, age and purpose3.Information on births, deaths, purchases losses, own consumption and sales

• Aquaculture statistics are about determining the quantity of production.

• Measurement options include:1. To determine the weight of fish harvested2. To determine the area covered in water


Input measures• The purpose of measuring purchased inputs and

investments is determining the quantity and value of purchased inputs and the quantity of expenditures on capital items

• These are roughly the same variables collected for all business surveys

• Measurement options include:1. The total costs of inputs such as seed, feed, fertilizer, chemicals and capital items such as tillage and irrigation equipment, tools, breeding stock.2. Total and unit costs of seed, feed, fertilizer and chemicals.


Labor measurement

• The labor component in agricultural statistics is about determining the quantity of paid labor

• Measurement options include the number of days and value of labor acquired for farm production

• An additional item specific for agriculture are unpaid household workers


Food balance sheets• Food balance sheets present a comprehensive picture of the

pattern of a country's food supply during a specified reference period

• Supply is the total quantity of foodstuffs produced in a country added to the total quantity imported and adjusted for any change in stocks

• On the utilization side, a distinction is made between the quantities exported, fed to livestock, used for seed, put to manufacture for food use and non-food uses, lost during storage and transportation, and available as food for human consumption at the retail level

• The supply of each such food item available for human consumption is then obtained by dividing its respective quantity by the related data on the population actually partaking of it


Data for food balance sheets• Incompleteness and inaccuracy of the basic data are a major problem for developing countries• Part of total production is non-commercial or subsistence production• Estimation of production of some crops is complicated because they are continuously harvested• For certain crops, a portion is held back as a reserve


Data for food balance sheets• Certain kinds of food may not be included in national production statistics• Major food crops are grown in mixed fields• Import and export data may be reasonably accurate• Seeding rates for crops are fairly well established• Quantities fed to animals are more difficult to estimate


Household food data

• Household food consumption surveys are used to collect data on the quantities of food consumed by households

• This type of survey calls for very careful supervision by the interviewer and close cooperation of the respondents

• Household income/expenditure survey or budget surveys also cover food, but in monetary terms

• Recording both expenditure and quantity has become commonplace

• Food consumption data obtained from the household expenditure surveys generally reflect the food available to the household, but neglect wastage and loss


Value of agricultural production• Value of agricultural production is the output of

agricultural activity expressed in monetary terms• FAO collects information in current and constant prices• Price information is required• FAO also collects statistics on investment in agriculture• Food security is dependent on investment in

agriculture• Estimates of the volume of investment require unit

prices for various items of investment at country level

copyright 2010, the world bank group. all rights reserved. agricultural statistics part 1a...

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