Census of Agriculture, 2010
Malta, 2010 - 2011
Identification
MLT_2010_CA_v01_EN_M_v01_A_OCS
Census of Agriculture, 2010
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| Malta | MLT |
Agricultural Census [ag/census]
Between 1949 and 1954, censuses of agriculture (CAs) were carried out in Malta every year. The next CAs were carried out in 1956, 1960, 1968/1969, 1979, 1982/1983 and 2001, followed by sample-based FSS in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The CA 2010 was carried out in conjunction with the SAPM.
The 2010 Census of Agriculture provides a comprehensive stock-take of land use, livestock, the agricultural labour force, produce, and machinery. Although the direct contribution of this sector to the Gross Domestic Product is modest in extent, such activities play an invaluable part in upholding the Maltese Islands’ rural areas and in maintaining the line of continuity between the country’s past and present, to the benefit of residents and the many tourists who visit the country. The 2010 results highlight interesting changes, when compared to the previous Census carried out in 2001. The total land area declared by
holders went up by 28 per cent in a decade. The utilised agricultural area advanced by 19 per cent to 11,452.8 hectares. This was in part due to the rehabilitation of disused quarries for agricultural purposes. Productive vineyards were up by 28 per cent, with the majority in the Northern and Western regions. An innovation in this Census was the collection of data on organic farming.
Census/enumeration data [cen]
Households
Scope
The census scope covered agricultural activities (crop and animal production).
| Topic | Vocabulary |
|---|---|
| Agriculture & Rural Development | FAO |
| Food (production, crisis) | FAO |
| Land (policy, resource management) | FAO |
| Livestock | FAO |
| Labor | FAO |
Coverage
National coverage
The statistical unit was the agricultural holding, defined as a single unit, both technically and economically, which has a single management and which undertakes agricultural activities listed in Annex I to the European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No. 1166/2008 within the economic territory of the European Union, as either its primary or secondary activity.
Producers and sponsors
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Agricultural and Fisheries Statistics Section (AFSS) | The National Statistics Office |
Sampling
Frame:
The census frame was provided by the Agricultural Register (AR). The AR contains the details of all agricultural holdings and is maintained by the NSO. The AR is updated regularly and new units may be traced from: (i) the Animal Register maintained by the Directorate of Wholesale Markets and Fishing Fleet Facilities; (ii) the Farmer's Register maintained by the Department of Agriculture; (iii) other administrative sources such as the IACS (Integrated Administration and Control System); and (iv) surveys carried out by the AFSS. The CA 2010 was conducted using complete enumeration.
Survey instrument
QUESTIONNAIRE
A 30-page questionnaire was used for all agricultural holdings. The questionnaire was split into 17 parts and covered all the fields required in Commission Regulation 1166/2008. The data collection spanned a five-month period beginning in September 2010. The interviewing was held in the place of preference of the holder (home or farm).
SECTION A - LEGAL PERSONALITY AND MANAGEMENT OF THE HOLDING
SECTION B - GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HOLDING
SECTION C - PERMANENT CROPS
SECTION D - ARABLE LAND
SECTION E - MUSHROOMS
SECTION F - OTHER LAND
SECTION G - ORGANIC LAND
SECTION H - VINES
SECTION I - LIVESTOCK
SECTION J - ANIMAL HOUSING
SECTION K - MANURE STORAGE
SECTION L - MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT
SECTION M - FARM LABOUR FORCE
SECTION N - LANDSCAPE FEATURES
SECTION O - SOURCE OF WATER
SECTION P - PLOUGHING AND APPLICATION OF MANURE
SECTION Q - SUPPORT FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Data collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2010-09 | 2011-01 |
Reference periods:
· the crop year (from 1 September 2009 to 31 August 2010), for arable land, permanent crops, organic land and vines, mushrooms, animal housing and labour force; and
· the last three years, for landscape features and rural development support.
The CA data were collected using face-to-face interviewing and paper questionnaires (PAPI method).
Data processing
a. DATA PROCESSING AND ARCHIVING
A locally built application system was used for data entry. The computer application was designed in such a way that when an edit failure was encountered, a dialogue box displaying the error message popped up. The validation rules set up in the Eurostat manual were applied to identify and resolve anomalies. These involved logic and consistency checks with previous data, checks for extreme values, etc.
b. CENSUS DATA QUALITY
To minimize data collection errors interviewers were instructed to interview not more than five holdings, before providing the completed questionnaires to their supervisors for assessment. This helped to reduce data collection errors.
Data appraisal
The final results of the CA were published in January 2012. The CA publication and other census results are available on the National Statistics Office website.
Data Access
| Is signing of a confidentiality declaration required? | Confidentiality declaration text |
|---|---|
| yes | See https://nso.gov.mt/Pages/Accessibility.aspx |
See https://nso.gov.mt/Pages/Accessibility.aspx
CONTACT
National Statistics Office
Business Statistics Directorate
Unit B3: Environment, Transport and Agriculture Statistics
Address: Lascaris, Valletta VLT 2000, Malta
Telephone: (+356) 25997333
Disclaimer and copyrights
The user of the data acknowledges that the original collector of the data, the authorized distributor of the data, and the relevant funding agency bear no responsibility for use of the data or for interpretations or inferences based upon such uses
Contacts
| Name | URL | |
|---|---|---|
| National Statistics Office | [email protected] | https://nso.gov.mt/en/Pages/NSO-Home.aspx |
Metadata production
DDI_MLT_2010_CA_v01_EN_M_v01_A_OCS_FAO
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Office of Chief Statistician | Food and Agriculture Organization | Adoption of metadata for FAM |
| Census team, Statistics Division | Food and Agriculture Organization | Metadata producer |
Metadata version
MLT_2010_CA_v01_EN_M_v01_A_OCS_v01