(Item 3 of the Agenda)
10. Mr Baker first reviewed the background and objectives of the Expert Consultation, emphasizing three phases: i) review of various analysis procedures; ii) assessment of the availability of data for these procedures and methods for treatment of missing and incomplete data; and iii) preparation of guidelines and caveats for analysis and dissemination of agricultural sector data, considering the likelihood of missing or incomplete data.
11. Next, he presented a short description of existing agricultural sector surveys and associated indicators in member countries of the Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics (APCAS). This information had been provided by countries as inputs for the 20th Session of APCAS in Delhi, 21-24 September 2004. The Expert Consultation noted that individual country agricultural statistics activities would be described in the presentations of the Experts.
12. The Experts recognized the diversity of agricultural statistics systems in the region and of types of indicators that were regularly compiled.
13. Hiek SOM, Chief, Surveys and Statistical Development Service, Statistics Division, FAO, made a presentation on enlarging the scope of analysis using Agricultural Census data. He informed the Experts that there was a large amount of data collected during agricultural censuses describing the structure of agriculture at disaggregated geographic levels. The use made of such data had not been well documented, but it clearly appeared that the information from agricultural census was under-utilized. On the other hand, there had been emerging demands for data resulting from global fora. In this connection, agricultural censuses were being considered as main sources of data for monitoring the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
14. The Experts were informed of the many studies resulting from China's 1996 Agricultural Census, culminating in an international seminar on China Agricultural Census results in 2000. A large number of invited and contributed papers were presented during that seminar. Topics covered included: inequalities in land ownership (using Gini coefficients), sustainable rural and agricultural development, farm income, role of women in agriculture, targeting poverty alleviation, and rural infrastructure. In addition to using census data, the studies also included information available from other sources, such as household income and expenditure surveys and farm-gate prices.
15. In the case of the Viet Nam 2001 Rural, Agricultural and Fisheries Census, the studies conducted using census results covered areas like: using agricultural census for policy purposes, gender issues in agriculture, food security, commercial farm economy, economic structure of rural community, fisheries and aquaculture, and status of infrastructure in rural areas. The findings were presented in a seminar held in 2004 which was attended by representatives from various ministries, other government agencies and research organizations.
16. The Experts noted that the proposed approach and contents of the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2010 could contribute to monitoring four areas of the Millennium Development Goals. These areas were:
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education;
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women; and
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability.
17. The Experts recognized the good potential for expanding the use of agricultural census data, including the prospects in the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2010. They stressed the importance of linking the population and agricultural censuses to facilitate the analysis of data by users and policy-makers and to improve cost-effectiveness. Countries were encouraged to ensure that such links were adequately considered at the planning stage of these two censuses.
18. While pointing out the need for enlarging the scope of the analyses using census data, the Experts recommended that institutional infrastructure be created or strengthened within statistics offices to facilitate the analysis of agricultural census data and use of the results.
