Census of Agriculture, 2008
American Samoa, 2008
Identification
ASM_2008_CA_v01_EN_M_v01_A_OCS
Census of Agriculture, 2008
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| American Samoa | ASM |
Agricultural Census [ag/census]
The 2008 census is the eleventh census of agriculture of American Samoa, but only the third to be conducted strictly as a census of agriculture. The first eight agriculture censuses in American Samoa, beginning in
1920, were taken in conjunction with the decennial censuses, and agriculture information was collected only for those households that answered affirmatively to a question about agricultural activities asked at
the end of the decennial questionnaire.
For 156 years (1840 - 1996), the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census was responsible for collecting census of agriculture data. The 1997 Appropriations Act contained a provision that transferred the responsibility for the census of agriculture from the Bureau of the Census to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The 2007 Census of Agriculture is the 27th Federal census of agriculture and the third conducted by NASS. The first agriculture census was taken in 1840 as part of the sixth decennial census of population. The agriculture census continued to be taken as part of the decennial census through 1950. A separate middecade census of agriculture was conducted in 1925, 1935, and 1945. From 1954 to 1974, the census was taken for the years ending in 4 and 9. In 1976, Congress authorized the census of agriculture to be taken for 1978 and 1982 to adjust the data reference year so that it coincided with other economic censuses. This adjustment in timing established the agriculture census on a 5-year cycle collecting data for years ending in 2 and 7. Agriculture census data are used to:
• Evaluate, change, promote, and formulate farm and rural policies and programs that help agricultural producers;
• Study historical trends, assess current conditions, and plan for the future;
• Formulate market strategies, provide more efficient production and distribution systems, and locate facilities for agricultural communities;
• Make energy projections and forecast needs for agricultural producers and their communities;
• Develop new and improved methods to increase agricultural production and profitability;
• Allocate local and national funds for farm programs, e.g. extension service projects, agricultural research, soil conservation programs, and land-grant colleges and universities;
• Plan for operations during drought and emergency outbreaks of diseases or infestations of pests.
• Analyze and report on the current state of food, fuel, feed, and fiber production in the United States.
American Samoa is one of the territories collectively referred as the "US Outlying areas". The 2008 American Samoa Census of Agriculture was conducted by personal interviews of all farm operations on the list of commercial farms, and supplemented by an area sample of the remaining households. The purpose of the area sample was to efficiently accountfor farms not on the commercialfarmlist and provide an accurate measure of the agricultural activity in American Samoa.
Census/enumeration data [cen]
Households
Scope
The scope of the study includes agriculture (including forestry), livestock, income sources, infrastructure and organization affiliations.
| Topic | Vocabulary |
|---|---|
| Agriculture & Rural Development | FAO |
| Forests & Forestry | FAO |
| Land (policy, resource management) | FAO |
| Livestock | FAO |
| Labor | FAO |
Coverage
National coverage
The statistical unit for the CA 2008 was the farm, an operating unit defined as any place from which USD 1 000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year.
Producers and sponsors
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| National Agricultural Statistics Service | United States Department of Agriculture |
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| American Samoa Department of Agriculture | Technical support |
| American Samoa Community college - Land grant | Technical support |
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| United States federal budget | Funding |
Sampling
i. Methodological modality for conducting the census
The classical approach was used in the CA 2008.
ii. sample design
The design of the sample for the 2008 Census of Agriculture made use of materials and information available from the American Samoa Department of Commerce. These included detailed maps of all the islands in the territory, up-to-date map-spotting (location on a map) of all households in the territory, a system of numbering each household to provide it a unique identifier, and identification of householdswhich were on the list of commercial farms. The households that were on the list of commercial farms were excluded from the universe used to select the area sample. A random sample of the remaining households was
selected, using the available maps with the household identification information. It was determined that a 20 percent sample would be optimal. A serpentine selection methodology, starting at a point determined by the generation of a random number, was used to select the area sample.
Survey instrument
One questionnaire was used which collected information on:
- Land owned
- Field crops
- Fruit
- Root crops
- Cattle and calves
- Poultry
- Aquaculture
- Expenditure
- Production expenses
- Machinery, equipment and buildings
- Household characteristics
Data collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2008-01 | 2008-07 |
Reference period: the calendar year (from 1 January to 31 December 2008), for items on crop production, crop and livestock, expense data etc.
Data collection was done primarily through the traditional face-to-face interviews.
Data processing
-
DATA PROCESSING AND ARCHIVING
The completed forms were scanned and Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) was used to retrieve categorical responses and to identify the other answer zones in which some type of mark was present. The edit system determined the best value to impute for reported responses that were deemed unreasonable and for required responses that were absent. The complex edit ensured the full internal consistency of the record. After tabulation and review of the aggregates, a comprehensive disclosure review was conducted. Cell suppression was used to protect the cells that were determined to be sensitive to a disclosure of information. -
CENSUS DATA QUALITY
NASS conducted an extensive program to follow-up all non-response. NASS also used capture-recapture methodology to adjust for under-coverage, non-response, and misclassification. To implement capture-recapture methods, two independent surveys were required --the 2012 Census of Agriculture (based on the Census Mail List) and the 2012 June Agricultural Survey (based on the area frame). Historically, NASS has been careful to maintain the independence of these two surveys.
Data appraisal
The complete data series from the 2008 Census of Agriculture is available from the NASS website free of charge in multiple formats, including Quick Stats 2.0 - an online database to retrieve customized tables with Census data at the national, state and county levels. The 2012 Census of Agriculture provides information on a range of topics, including agricultural practices, conservation, organic production, as well as traditional and specialty crops.
Data Access
| Is signing of a confidentiality declaration required? | Confidentiality declaration text |
|---|---|
| yes | See https://www.americansamoa.gov/departments |
CONTACT
American Samoa Government
Department of Agriculture
Adress: Industrial park way, Tafuna
96779, American Samoa, USA
Telephone: (+1)684 6999 272
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),
National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS)
Census and Survey Division
Address: 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250.
Telephone: (+1) 800 7279 540
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 | |
|---|---|---|
| United States Department of Agriculture | [email protected] or https://ask.usda.gov/s/ | http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/index.php |
| American Samoa Government | [email protected] | https://www.americansamoa.gov/department-of-agiculture |
Metadata production
DDI_ASM_2008_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
ASM_2008_CA_v01_EN_M_v01_A_OCS_v01