Agricultural Census 2020
Estonia, 2020 - 2021
Get MicrodataIdentification
EST_2020_POL_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
Agricultural Census 2020
Põllumajandusloendus 2020
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| Estonia | EST |
Agricultural Census [ag/census]
The Agricultural Census (Põllumajandusloendus) 2020 was the seventh census of agriculture conducted in Estonia. The previous ones were conducted in 1919, 1925, 1929, 1939, 2001 and 2010.
The Agricultural Census 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 census provides comprehensive and accurate agricultural data for public authorities, research institutions, businesses and international organizations. Census data is needed to develop agricultural and environmental policies and other policy areas.
Census/enumeration data [cen]
Agricultural holdings
Scope
The census scope covered agricultural (crop and livestock) activities.
The questionnaire collected information on:
- Activities of the holding
- Land use
- Crops
- Agricultural production methods
- Land tenure
- Livestock, poultry, and beehives
- Animal housing
- Nutrient use and manure on the farm
- Management of the holding
- Labor force
- Other gainful activities
Coverage
The Agricultural Census 2020 covered the entire country.
The statistical unit was the agricultural holding, defined as a single unit, both technically and economically, that has a single management and that undertakes economic activities in agriculture in accordance with 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 of ISIC 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” (with the exception of raising of insects) and “Beekeeping and production of honey and beeswax” were included.
The following thresholds were applied:
- 5 ha of utilized agricultural area (UAA)
- 2 ha of arable land
- 0.5 ha of potatoes or vegetable and strawberries
- 0.2 ha of aromatic and medicinal plants and herbs, flowers, seeds, and nurseries
- 0.3 ha of fruit and berry plantations, or other permanent crops (except nurseries)
- 100 m2 of greenhouses
- 1.7 livestock units
Producers and sponsors
| Name |
|---|
| Statistics Estonia (Eesti Statistika), Economic and Environmental Statistics Department (Majandus- ja keskkonnastatistika osakond) |
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture (Regionaal- ja Põllumajandusministeerium) | Government of the Republic of Estonia |
Sampling
The Agricultural Census 2020 was composed of a core module and two thematic modules on labor force and other gainful activities, and animal housing and manure management. The census used a combination of complete and sample enumeration. The core module was collected using complete enumeration of the 11 369 agricultural holdings, while the two supplementary thematic modules referred to labor force and other gainful activities, and livestock buildings and manure management were collected using sample enumeration. Further, data on rural development and organic farming was sourced from administrative registers using complete enumeration.
The frame for the census was based on the Statistical Farm Register (SFR). This statistical register was first built on the basis of the Agricultural Census 2001, and since then, has been continuously updated on the basis of several administrative sources and statistical surveys. The main administrative sources used were the land use data and Register of Agricultural Animals from the Agricultural Registers and Information Board and the Organic Farming Register of the Agricultural and Food Board.
A stratified one-stage random sampling design was employed to identify the agricultural holdings that would be interviewed for the two thematic modules on labor force and other gainful activities, and livestock buildings and manure management.
The stratification variables were:
- standard output (SO)
- type of farming
- type of production (organic/conventional).
A full-coverage stratum was defined with holdings with:
- SO of at least EUR 100 000
- farming types 2 and 3 (holdings specialized in horticulture and permanent crops respectively) and SO of at least EUR 25 000
- farming type 5 (holdings specialized in granivores) and SO of at least EUR 4000
- farming type 9 (non-classified holdings)
- new holdings
The total sample size for both modules was 4798 holdings. Sampling weights were adjusted for non-response.
The total unit non-response amounted to 1.9 percent for core module data collection, while it amounted to 1.7 percent each for both thematic modules (labor force and other gainful activities, and animal housing and manure management).
Survey instrument
One questionnaire was used in the Agricultural Census 2020. The questionnaire covered 20 out of 23 essential items recommended in the WCA 2020.
Data collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2020-09 | 2021-01 |
Reference day:
- 1 September 2020, for livestock and animal housing facilities
Reference periods:
- year 2020, for land use
- 12-month period ending on 1 September 2020, for irrigation, soil management practices, manure management, and labor force
- from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2020, for rural development support
- Computer Assisted Web Interview [cawi]
- Computer Assisted Telephone Interview [cati]
In the Agricultural Census 2020, data was collected using CAWI and CATI methods. The respondents were able to complete the questionnaire through the CAWI method from 1 September to 20 September 2020. The respondents that did not complete the questionnaire during this time window, were contacted by phone from 21 September 2020, and data was collected using the CATI method.
To reduce the response burden, some data for the core module and all of the data for the rural development module was collected from administrative registers. The administrative sources used in the Agricultural Census 2020 were: Statistical Farm Register, Integrated Administration and Control System, Statistical Business Register, rural developments measures, bovine register, ovine register, caprine register, organic farming register, cadastre, database of pigs, register of beehives, and employment register.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
A quality management system exists to ensure and assess quality through different procedures: training courses, use of best practices, quality guidelines, designated quality manager, quality unit and/or senior level committee, compliance monitoring, and self-assessment. Statistics Estonia is guided by the requirements stipulated in section 7 “Principles and quality criteria of producing official statistics” of the Official Statistics Act. It performs all statistical activities according to the Generic Statistical Business Process Model, for which the final phase of statistical activities is the overall evaluation using information gathered in each phase or sub-process; this information can take many forms, including feedback from users, process metadata, system metrics and suggestions from employees. This information was used to prepare the evaluation report, which outlines all the quality problems related to the specific statistical activity and serves as input for improvement actions.
Data processing
The data was validated through different checks: data format, completeness, range, relational, and comparison with previous rounds of the data collection and with other domains in agricultural statistics. Validation rules were used in questionnaires and within special data processing software, named VAIS. Additional validations were done through special queries. Arithmetic and qualitative controls were used in the validation process, including comparison with the data of previous periods, other surveys and administrative data sources. Items with non-response regarding land and animals were imputed using the current year's administrative data on these holdings. For the thematic modules, imputation was carried out for unit non-response in the full coverage stratum.
DATA PROCESSING NOTES
Direct data capture was ensured by the CAWI and CATI methods.
Data appraisal
Sampling errors were calculated for the estimation of variables collected through sample enumeration.
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 |
|---|---|
| Economic and Environmental Statistics Department (Majandus- ja keskkonnastatistika osakond) | Statistics Estonia (Eesti Statistika) |
Metadata production
DDI_EST_2020_POL_v01_M_v01_A_ESS_FAO
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic and Environmental Statistics Department (Majandus- ja keskkonnastatistika osakond) | Statistics Estonia (Eesti Statistika) | Metadata producer | |
| Statistics Division | ESS | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Metadata adapted for FAM |