General features regarding Agricultural Census/ farm structure surveys in EU Presentation in a training workshop September 2011 “Preparing for Agricultural Census of Armenia” Rolf Selander

Agricultural Census in EU Conducted in all member states in 2010 according to regulation nr 1166/2008 The regulation includes the following: 1.Basic definitions on - Agricultural holding/farm

Agricultural Census in EU cont. -Livestock unit, specific coefficients related to different types of livestock -Location of farm 2. Thresholds, defining that at least 98 % of the agricultural area and at least 98 % of the number of livestock units must be included

Agricultural Census in EU cont. 3. General acceptance for use of specific administrative data sources (data quality must be secured) -Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) -Bovine Animal Register -Organic Farming Register -Other data sources accepted by EU

Agricultural Census in EU cont. 4.Reference period - Certain information connected to a specific date and other information connected to a whole year 5. Data transmission -Validated micro data provided to EU 6. Methodological report - Includes all steps in the survey

Agricultural Census in EU cont. Other comments -Survey on agricultural production methods (SAPM) connected to the AC A handbook with definitions and explanations is continously updated -The organisation of an AC is up to each member state to decide

The meaning of farm structure What’s meant by “structure”? The meaning of structure is to describe the farms by many different aspect, most common are: Region Size of agricultural area Size of area with specific crops Size of livestock, (cattle, sheep, pigs etc.) Type of farm, specialisation (see later). Combinations of these aspects

How can we create farm structure statistics? We need to conduct a survey A survey: can be a total or a sample survey is most often based on questionnaires can also be based on registers from other authorities or a combination of questionnaires and registers can be conducted by personal interviews, questionnaires sent by post or telephone interviews

Content of a farm structure survey, part 1 crops Cereals (e.g. wheat and rice) Pulses (peas, beans) Root crops (potatoes, sugar beets) Industrial plants (e.g. rape and cotton) Seeds for sowing Fodder (grass, maize, cereals for green fodder) Fruits and berries Vegetables Flowers Fallow land, land not used in a season Green house area Other crops? Information is given in number of hectares

Content of a farm structure survey, part 2 livestock Cattle Pigs Sheep Goats Horses Donkeys Camels Poultry, (hens, turkeys, ducks, geese) Other livestock? Information is given in number of animals one specific day.

Content of a farm structure survey, part 3 labour force Work time of the farmer Work time of the manager, for instance for state and collective farms Work time of the farmers wife, if she also works on the farms Number of family workers and work time (children, parents, brothers, sisters) Number of non family workers and work time Work time could be: 40 hours per week or more hours per week hours per week hours per week 1-9 hours per week

Content of a farm structure survey, part 4 more information on labour force Work outside the farm The farmer The farmer’s wife Is work outside the farm more or less important than the farm work? The farmer The farmer’s wife Does the farm produce other things than agriculture? Could be: Agro tourism (bed and breakfast) Small dairies (processing of milk) Shops selling agricultural products Handicraft All other things

Content of a farm structure survey, part 5 machinery and equipment Tractors Combine harvesters Sowing machines Ploughs Machinery spreading fertilizers Slurry silos or slurry lagoons Milking machines Equipment for irrigation Other machinery? The purpose of these questions is to investigate the technological development in agriculture.

Content of a farm structure survey, part 6 use of raw materials Water for irrigation Livestock manure Commercial fertilizers Pesticides Seeds Fodder for the animals Energy, (oil and gasoline) Other raw materials? Such information is normally rather difficult to collect. Be very careful when asking these questions!

Other information in the farm structure survey Age of the farmer (maybe personal code) Age of the farmer’s wife (maybe personal code) Geographical information, municipality code Business register code ( So that merging with other registers is possible ) Extrapolation factor (if sample survey)

Type of farms, specialisation, European system Divide the farms into different groups: 1. Cultivation of cereals, pulses, potatoes etc. 2. Horticulture, vegetables and flowers 3. Plantation, fruits, berries, vine 4. Cattle, sheep and goats 5. Pigs and poultry 6. Mixed crops 7. Mixed livestock 8. Other, “fifty fifty” crops and livestock The division is based on the economic importance of the different activities. Each groups can be further subdivided.

Final output of the survey: The survey register A survey register has information on all farms in the survey. The survey register contains answers for all the questions: crops, livestock, labour force etc. The survey register should be stored at the central statistical office as a computer file. If information is collected locally individually local offices should report individual farm information to the central office. Thereby the statistical office has the freedom to create statistical results according to wishes of the users.

After the Agricultural Census A base for creating a Statistical Farm Register (SFR) is received The SFR can be used as a frame when introducing new sample surveys on structure, livestock crops etc.