Agricultural Census 2020
Latvia, 2020
Get MicrodataIdentification
LVA_2020_LS_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
Agricultural Census 2020
LS 2020
Lauksaimniecības skaitīšana 2020
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| Latvia | LVA |
Agricultural Census [ag/census]
During the first Republic, six agricultural censuses were carried out in Latvia: in 1920, 1923, 1929, 1935, 1937 and, 1939. The first Agricultural Census (LS) of Latvia carried out in compliance with the requirements of EU legislation took place in 2001, the second in 2010, and the third was carried out in 2020.
The Agricultural Census (LS) is a census of all agricultural holdings that takes place every ten years. It is part of an EU-wide programme of agricultural censuses carried out in 2020 under EU Regulation 2018/1091 on integrated farm statistics and conducted under the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture (https://www.fao.org/world-census-agriculture/en/). The data collected in the LS 2020 will be used for the agricultural sector analysis, Latvian and EU agricultural policy and rural development decision-making, as well as Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) planning and implementation. Further, the information serves as a basis for reasoned estimation of agricultural sector influence on environment and climate change, quality and safety of agricultural products, as well as production of comparable statistics for agricultural activities in the EU Member States.
Census/enumeration data [cen]
Agricultural holdings
Scope
The census scope covered agricultural (crop and livestock production) activities.
The questionnaire collected information on:
- General Characteristics of the Holding
- Land Use
- Utilization of Arable Land: crops, nurseries, irrigation
- Livestock and Poultry
- Animal Housing and Manure Management
- Regular and Non-Regular Labor Force in Agriculture
- Other Gainful Activities
Coverage
The LS 2020 covered the entire country.
The statistical unit was the agricultural holding defined as a single unit, both technically and economically, having a single management and undertaking economic activities in agriculture and in accordance with the Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006 belonging to groups A.01.1, A.01.2, A.01.3, A.01.4, A.01.5 or to the ‘maintenance of agricultural land in good agricultural and environmental condition’ of group A.01.6 within the economic territory of the Union, either as its primary or secondary activity, as it is stated in the Regulation (EU) No 2018/1091 of the European Parliament and of the Council on integrated agricultural statistics. Regarding activities of class A.01.49, only the activities ‘Raising and breeding of semi-domesticated or other live animals’ (except for raising of insects) and ‘Beekeeping and production of honey and beeswax’ were included.
The LS 2020 used the following threshold:
- 5 ha of UAA
- 2 ha of arable land
- 0.5 ha of potatoes, vegetables, or strawberry plantations
- 0.2 ha of medicinal plants, culinary plants, herbs, flowers and ornamental plants, nurseries
- 0.3 ha of fruit trees or berries
- 0.01 ha of greenhouses or cultivated mushrooms
- 1.7 livestock units.
The animal housing and manure management module covered the subset of the population of agricultural holdings defined before with at least one cattle, pig, sheep, goat, or poultry. Agricultural holdings with UAA less than 1 ha and standard output (SO) less than EUR 70 were not covered.
Producers and sponsors
| Name |
|---|
| Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (CSB, Centrālā statistikas pārvalde), Agricultural Statistics Section |
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Agriculture (ZM, Zemkopības ministrija) | Government of Latvia | Support in the development of the questionnaire |
| Ministry of Economics(Ekonomikas ministrija) | Government of Latvia | Support in the development of the questionnaire |
| Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (Viedās administrācijas un reģionālās attīstības ministrija) | Government of Latvia | Support in the development of the questionnaire |
| Rural Support Service of Latvia (LAD, Lauku atbalsta dienests) | Government of Latvia | Support in the development of the questionnaire |
| Agricultural Data Centre (ADC) | Government of Latvia | Support in the development of the questionnaire |
| State Plant Protection Service (VAAD, Valsts augu aizsardzības dienests) | Government of Latvia | Support in the development of the questionnaire |
| Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre (Latvijas Lauku konsultāciju un izglītības centrs) | Government of Latvia | Support in the development of the questionnaire |
| Institute of Agricultural Resources and Economics (Agroresursu un ekonomikas institūts) | Non-governmental organization | Support in the development of the questionnaire |
| Farmers’ Parliament (ZSA, Zemnieku Saeima) | Non-governmental organization | Support in the development of the questionnaire |
| The Latvian Agricultural Organization Cooperation Council (LOSP, Lauksaimniecības organizāciju sadarbības padome) | Non-governmental organization | Support in the development of the questionnaire |
Sampling
The LS was composed of a core module and three thematic modules on labor force and other gainful activities, rural development, and animal housing and manure management. All census data related to the thematic module on rural development were collected directly from administrative registers, which were also used partially for the core module and the animal housing and manure management module.
The LS 2020 used a frame based on the Statistical Farm Register (SFR) maintained by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB). The SFR is a list frame updated on a regular basis.
The LS 2020 used a combination of complete and sample enumeration. The core and the three thematic modules were collected using complete enumeration, while core data on frame extension, holdings below thresholds, were collected using sample enumeration.
In the LS 2020, the sample for frame extension was selected using a one-stage stratified random sample. The stratification variables were the NUTS 3 regions, and size of the holdings defined by UAA and LSU groups. The size of the sample was decided in accordance with the precision requirements provided in the Regulation (EU) 2018/1091 and financial and organizational possibilities. The sample size of 2 000 holdings was allocated between strata using Neyman allocation, of which 1 149 were eligible holdings.
Survey instrument
There was one questionnaire in the LS 2020. It covered 19 out of 23 essential items recommended in the WCA 2020.
Data collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2020-04 | 2020-12 |
Reference day: 1 July 2020 – livestock, animal housing and all other variables.
Reference periods:
- from 1 January to 31 December 2020 for land use and crops (area sown for the harvest of 2020)
- from 1 July 2019 to 1 July 2020, for labor force
- from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2020, for rural development measures
- Computer Assisted Web Interview [cawi] , Computer Assisted Telephone Interview [cati]
The LS 2020 involved 64 people from several departments of the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB): nine from Agricultural and Environmental Statistics Department, one from Mathematical Support Division, three from Informatics Department, and 51 from Interviewer’s Coordination Section, as well as outsourced interviewers from the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre.
In the LS 2020, data was collected through CAWI and CATI method. Respondents were also able to send the completed questionnaires by post or e-mail when other methods were not possible (e.g., unknown telephone number, or no means to connect to the CAWI data entry system). CSB and LRATC interviewers conducted telephone interviews.
To reduce the response burden, census data were collected directly from administrative registers. The administrative sources used to acquire LS 2020 information included:
- RSS Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) EU direct payment database information on crop areas
- RSS IACS information on projects that have received payments covered by the support measures
- ADC Animal Register information on number of livestock, including organic
- ADC Organic Farming Information System database on certified organic croplands and croplands under conversion.
Quality Assurance
The Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) has introduced an internal Quality Management System (QMS). The system is aimed at providing high user satisfaction and ensuring compliance with regulatory provisions. Based on the structure of Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM), QMS defines and at the level of procedures describes processes of statistical production as well as sets the persons responsible for the monitoring of processes at all stages of the statistical production considering the EU and international quality standards. QMS defines the sequence of how processes are implemented (i.e., activities to be performed, including verifications of processes and statistics, sequence, and implementation requirements thereof, as well as persons responsible for the implementation), procedures used in the evaluation of processes and statistics, as well as any improvements needed. Since 2018, QMS of the CSB has been certified by the standard ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems. Requirements (scope of certification: development, production, and dissemination of official statistics). Quality of statistics is assessed in accordance with the existing requirements of external and internal regulatory enactments and in accordance with the established quality criteria. Regulation (EC) no 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European statistics states that European Statistics European statistics shall be developed, produced, and disseminated based on uniform standards and harmonized methods. In this respect, the following quality criteria shall apply: relevance, accuracy, timeliness, punctuality, accessibility, clarity, comparability and coherence.
Data processing
When data were sent to the CSB server, the personnel engaged carried out deeper mathematical and logical controls at the level of holdings. When necessary, the information was revised by contacting the interviewer or farm holder/manager. Data comparison was based on the administrative data sources – Agricultural Data Centre (Housing Facilities Infrastructure and Manure Storage Register on housing facilities and manure management) and the Statistical Farm Register (SFR). The primary source used to specify the information was the respondent – CSB employees called the respondents and asked them to give the precise incorrect or missing information. SQL and MS Access for individual data were used for data processing, validation and tabulation purposes. A standalone validation tool, developed by Eurostat, was used for data set validation purposes. To obtain missing information in incomplete questionnaires, imputation was carried out using existing data for the same unit from SFR, administrative data sources and other agricultural surveys. The ADC Animal Housing Infrastructure Register information on manure management, manure storage facilities, as well as animal housing and feeding systems on farm was used for quality check and imputation in case of non-response.
DATA PROCESSING NOTES
CAWI and CATI method ensured direct data capture using the Integrated Statistical Data Processing and Management System, Computer-Assisted Statistical Information System (ISDAVS CASIS). For questionnaires received by post or email, manual data entry was carried out by interviewers using ISDAVS CASIS. Data control was carried out in all data collection and data processing levels. Mathematical and logical controls were developed in compliance with the requirements of the “Integrated farm statistics manual — 2020 edition”. To obtain more precise information and facilitate further data processing, they were supplemented with other necessary controls. With respect to validations failing during the data input process, an error notification indicated the place of the error and the correct value (if possible). The data input application ISDAVS CASIS incorporated 167 controls.
Data Access
The data request procedure and the data request form are available at "How to apply for microdata access?" at https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/microdata/farm-statistics.
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Statistics Section | Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (CSB, Centrālā statistikas pārvalde) | [email protected] |
Metadata production
DDI_ LVA_2020_LS_v01_M_v01_A_ESS_FAO
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Statistics Section | Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (CSB, Centrālā statistikas pārvalde) | Metadata producer |
| Statistics Division | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Metadata adapted for FAM |