Integrating agricultural statistical operations for optimal data collection1

Abstract

In countries with less developed national statistical systems (NSS), agricultural censuses (ACs) and sample surveys are not conducted regularly. This means that both structural data (sourced from censuses) and current statistics (sourced from sample surveys) are not readily available or up-to-date for informed decision-making on agricultural and rural development. In such countries, because of the sheer needs, when a census of agriculture is planned, stakeholders exert pressure on the census agency to collect both structural and non-structural data (atypical for a census), overburdening the census questionnaire and ultimately jeopardizing the quality of the census operation. An increasing number of countries are making efforts towards better integrating statistical activities. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations leads the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2020 (WCA 2020) which advocates the development of an integrated multiyear programme of statistical operations involving AC, current surveys and other data collection operations. By integrating these operations, the AC can focus on collecting essential structural items (i.e. aspects of agriculture that change relatively slowly over time), while regular agricultural sample surveys and administrative registers can focus on collecting non-structural data needed more frequently.