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Development Constraint to be Addressed:
Since the regional economic crises in 1997/98, many
significant changes have taken place in the national economy of
Malaysia, and within the agriculture sector in particular, and these
changes are expected to continue. Government planners, as well as
other agencies and institutions, have placed great emphasis on the
development of the agriculture sector as a means of reducing imports
and increasing self-sufficiency in food. This goal has been clearly
stated in the Government’s Third National Agricultural Policy and
in its proposals for agricultural development.
In order to evaluate the policies and development
plans implemented in the agricultural sector after 1997/98 there
is an urgent need for up-to-date and reliable information on the
food and agriculture sector. Such comprehensive information is also
needed for the monitoring and evaluation of future development plans
and projects related to agrarian reform, rural development, food
production, agro-industries and food security. The Government is,
therefore, planning to conduct a comprehensive agricultural census
programme as a priority activity starting in 2005. However, the
preparatory work to update the listing frame will start as early
as April 2004.
The last agricultural census was conducted on a sample
basis in 1977 by the Department of Statistics (DOS) and the results
were used for planning of the Second Malaysian Plan and Third Malaysian
Plan. The last complete enumeration agriculture census was in 1960.
Development Objective:
The development objective of the assistance is to
improve the performance of the agricultural sector and to ensure
food security for all, through the development of the system of
food and agricultural statistics so that planning and decision making
can be based on reliable, relevant and timely data.
Immediate Objective:
The immediate objectives are to:
• Support the preparations for
the Agricultural Census 2006 to ensure it is methodologically sound
and in line with FAO recommendations for the Programme for the World
Census of Agriculture 2000 (WCA 2000);
• Support the data processing and analysis of the agricultural census;
• Strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture to conduct
a programme of periodic agricultural sector surveys, to analyse
the data and to disseminate agricultural sector information, taking
into consideration a gender approach.
Links:
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific: web
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