Agricultural Census starts on 1 September

Holdings where there is at least one hectare of utilised agricultural land or where agricultural products are produced mainly for sale will be surveyed at the Agricultural Census. “There are nearly 30,000 such holdings in Estonia,” said Ms. Eve Valdvee, Statistics Estonia’s Project Manager of the Agricultural Census. She added that by now, all holdings whom Statistics Estonia expects to submit data at the Census should have received an appropriate notification with instructions on how and where data can be submitted.

For the first time the holdings can participate in the census via Internet, submitting data by e-census via Statistics Estonia’s electronic data transmission environment eSTAT. All legal persons, as well as all natural persons who have joined eSTAT before 19.07.2010, will be able to submit data through eSTAT from 1 September to 1 October. Natural persons who have not joined eSTAT can submit data from 1 to 10 September through the eSTAT personal survey channel or, if they do not make use of this opportunity, they will be visited by the enumerator of Statistics Estonia from 15 September to 15 November.

Ms. Valdvee explained that all data on the land use and animals submitted earlier to the Agricultural Registers and Information Board (ARIB) have already been pre-filled in the Agricultural Census questionnaires, but holdings would have a possibility to specify the data if needed. “Only the data which have not been recorded in ARIB or any other register will be asked for during the Census,” explained Ms. Valdvee. “The data on supports and organic farming are collected by Statistics Estonia for the Agricultural Census purposes directly from respective registers, and these data will not be asked again from holders,” she added.

The Agricultural Census will cost more than 10 million kroons, of which nearly a half will be covered by the Commission of the European Communities.

“The Agricultural Census will provide an in-depth overview of agriculture, and on the basis of Census results it will be possible to compare Estonia with other EU Member States,” noted Ms. Valdvee. “The collected data would form a basis for preparing the Common Agricultural Policy of EU and for decision taking in the matters related to agricultural supports,” she added.

The Agricultural Census will be conducted for the sixth time in Estonia. The previous Agricultural Censuses were organised in 1919, 1925, 1929, 1939, and after the restoration of independence in 2001. In the European Union countries, Agricultural Censuses are conducted in 2009 and 2010. In the European Union countries, Agricultural Censuses take place every ten years.

Additional information on the 2010 Agricultural Census can be found on the website of Statistics Estonia /uudised/ac2010.