The Socio-Economic Statistics and Analysis Service collects, compiles, analyses and disseminates data on prices received by farmers for primary crop and livestock products (called Producer Prices). The database on the web provides data from 1991 to 2002 covering 115 countries, 168 crop products and 48 livestock products. The Service has brought out three series of publications, namely "Statistics on prices received by farmers" (published in the years 1982, 1984, 1988, 1991, 1995, 1996); "Statistics on agricultural support prices" (published in the years 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1993) and "Statistics on prices paid by farmers for means of production" (published in the years 1989, 1992, 1997). The latter series has been suspended for the time being.

The database is also used for estimating prices of primary crop and livestock products in terms of international dollars for compiling
the index number of agricultural production. Keeping in view the fact that many countries do not collect regularly data on producer prices of primary crop and livestock products, it has been thought appropriate that price data used for compiling estimates of agricultural gross domestic products in countries are the nearest approximation and may be used for the present purpose. In cases where such data are not readily available due to the fact that there are many sub-national regions or varieties for which individual data are used in compiling estimates of agricultural gross domestic products, unit value derived as implicit prices may be taken as the proxy for the producer prices.

More details on the use and on the methodology of price statistics can be found in the documents below.

Price statistics and Index Numbers of Agricultural Production and Prices

The paper brings together basic concepts and definitions of price statistics, adoption of these concepts for national/economic accounts and economic analysis and final uses of price related indicators.

Farm and input price: collection and compilation

The main objective of the manual is to assist countries in the improvement of their price statistics including its use in the training of national staff in the collection and compilation of agricultural producer prices. The details of the treatment given to the subject matter and the descriptive style employed, have been deliberately chosen so as to make the manual of particular use to developing countries.

Questionnaire on Prices Received by Farmers and related Meta data

The new questionaire, on the one hand covers prices received by farmers, on the other hand includes questions on meta data on national practice. Data will be used by FAO to up-date the on-line database on agricultural producer prices and to prepare weighting scheme for compilation of a new series of index number on agricultural production and prices. The questionnaire will be issued annually requesting limited information for the current years and detailed information for the benchmark years.