FACT SHEET

Background

Each country should know how much land is available for agricultural production (fruit, crops and animals) in order to adequately provide food for its citizens on a regular basis and in a time of crises. Over time, the agricultural sector will welcome new farmers, embrace new technologies and farming practices and also experience an exodus of farmers for a number of reasons. This is natural and expected, however, it is important to maintain an official record of this evolution in order to provide adequate support, make informed decisions, and ultimately determine the sector’s true contribution to GDP and more. Valuable information such as this is only known through the implementation of a Census of Agriculture (CAG).

The Census of Agriculture is an internationally recognized, statistical operation which is supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) World Programme. A minimum set of structural data is collected from the entire country or a significant portion thereof, for the purpose of international comparison. The data collected from a CAG therefore provides a snapshot of the state of a country’s agricultural sector – including size of holdings, land tenure, land use, area harvested, irrigation, livestock, labour and other agricultural inputs. Hence the CAG is critical for agricultural planning and policymaking, research and development, as well as monitoring agriculture's environmental impact. The FAO recommends that a CAG be conducted every ten (10) years. Barbados conducted the last Census of Agriculture in 1989 or some 35 years ago.

Census of Agriculture (CAG) – Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a CAG.

It is the means by which a country can gather necessary statistical data on the agricultural sector.

• Who is responsible for the CAG?

The FAO provides the necessary support for the implementation of a Census of Agriculture, however the ultimate responsibility is that of the Government of the country through the Ministry of Agriculture or the National Statistical Office. 

• Why is it important?

The CAG is the only comprehensive tool available to know the true status and health of the agricultural sector. It provides an estimate of different types of trees, crops and animals on the island, the number of farmers and persons employed in the sector and more. Most importantly it is the only way to identify how much land is available for use for agricultural production.  

• What do you do with my data and information?

All data is aggregated and analyzed in order to produce a clear picture of the status of the agricultural sector on a national level. Some personal information such as your name, address and telephone number must be recorded in order to engage in any follow up as may be necessary. However, no information identifying specific individuals or companies is disseminated in the Final Report or for any other reason. All information will be received and processed in strict confidence.

• Why should I participate?

The Census of Agriculture not only benefits you but it is invaluable for the entire country. It also allows you to make informed decisions for the success of your business and it provides the Government with critical information to create progammes and policies geared towards the sustainability and improvement of the sector.

• Is it illegal to refuse to participate or give wrong information?

Yes. Any census conducted by a Government requires the necessary legislation to permit enumerators to collect information on its behalf and to prevent false information from being provided. The Census of Agriculture is no different.

• Will this result in more taxes? 

No. This is a myth. In fact, the lack of information may result in more taxes due to incorrect assumptions and not factual data. 

• How long will it last?

The data collection period is usually 2-3 months.

• Is this safe or will my data sold or stolen?

Your data will be encrypted for safety during the period of collection and analysis. It would never be shared nor sold. 

• Is a census worth it?

Yes. The last census was conducted in 1989 or 35 years ago so there have been many significant changes which remain uncertain. A census is the only way to find out exactly how much things have changed and the current status of the agricultural sector.

• How long will the interview take?

On average the interview should last 30-45 minutes. However, if you’re a farmer of multiple categories/species/types it will take much longer. Special arrangements are usually made to complete interviews which are expected to be lengthy due to the nature or size of the operations.

• What kind of information would you need?

Some of the information required are:

• Demographic information of all of the holding’s household and employees including name, sex, age, level of education, number of months worked per year and the number of hours worked per day. This would be a helpful indicator of the number of people engaged in fulltime work or seasonal/adhoc work. 
• Details on all trees on the holding, crops grown and animals on the holding including the quantities by sex and age. This provides baseline information to determine the level of production in subsequent years or make accurate predictions.
• The size and layout of the holding and how the land is utilized, the irrigation capabilities, animal housing capacities  
• The number of buildings on the holding and their ages/condition. 
• What is expected in the end? 

After the data is collected and aggregated, the country can expect to know how much land is being used and available for agricultural production, the opportunities available for agro-processing, the investment needs of the sector, the number of persons employed in the sector and by gender distribution, training needs plus more. The outcome will indicate the current health and requirements for the agricultural sector going forward.