Third National Agricultural Census 2016
China, 2017 - 2026
Identification
CHN_2016_TNAC_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
Third National Agricultural Census 2016
第三次全国农业普查
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| China | CHN |
Agricultural Census [ag/census]
The Third National Agricultural Census 2016 is the third agricultural census conducted in China after the censuses of 1996 and 2006.
The National Agricultural Census is a major study of national conditions to understand the development of agriculture, rural areas and farmers ("three agricultures" for short) in an all-round way. Census data is fundamental to scientifically formulate agricultural policies, to promote the modernization of agriculture, and to build a well-off society.
Census/enumeration data [cen]
Agricultural holdings
Scope
The census scope included agricultural activities (crop and animal production), forestry, aquaculture and capture fishery activities as well as agricultural services.
The core questionnaire collected data on:
- General information on the holding
- Workers employed in agriculture, forestry, livestock, aquaculture and fisheries, and services for agriculture
- Land ownership or management rights
- Crops
- Tea garden, mulberry field, orchard and edible nut forest (garden)
- Woodland
- Livestock
- Grassland (meadow)
- Culturing/fishing of aquacultural products
- Cultural machinery operation, irrigation, tree grafting, hatching, propagation of superior seeds (seedlings) and other services provided to other households or entities in 2016
- Agricultural machines ownership
- Operational characteristics of the holding
The administrative village questionnaire collected data on:
- General Information
- Population at the End of the Year
- Social Security
- Basic Social Services
- Land Management and Circulation
- Land for Non-agricultural Usage
- Irrigation and Water Conservancy
- Characteristic Farming and Cultivation Products
- Condition of the Sub-area Where Livestock and Poultry are Bred Concentratedly
- Finance of Village Collective Economy Organization
- Village Cadres
The town and township questionnaire collected data on:
- General Information
- Population
- Economy
- Trading and Marketing
- Education, Culture and Healthcare
- Living Security
- Utility
- Economic and Social Condition of Towns
The crop field survey questionnaire was used for field verification and field survey on crops with the aid of remote sensing images.
Coverage
The census covered the entire country, both urban and rural areas. The Taiwan Province of China, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Macao Special Administrative Region were not covered by the census.
The statistical units of the Third National Agricultural Census were household-based agricultural operators, rural households having a land contract with the state collective or possessing the means of agricultural production, agricultural enterprises, villages committees and town and township governments.
The following minimum size limits were used to define a household an agricultural holding:
- the holding operates arable land, garden plot, and aquaculture water surface cover with an area of 0.1 mu (approximately 67 m2) or more within the year
- the holding operates woodland and pasture cover with an area of 1 mu or more within the year
- the holding keeps at least one large or medium livestock, such as cattle, horse, pig and sheep within the year
- the holding keeps at least 20 heads of rabbits and other small animals and fowls within the year
- the value of sold and self-produced agricultural products in the whole year exceeds 1000 Renminbi (RMB also known as Yuan)
- the operating revenue from crop farming, forestry, livestock and aquaculture and fisheries service provided for other households exceeds 1000 RMB
A community survey was conducted along with the census. Data was collected from village (resident) committees as well as towns and townships that were covered by the census.
Producers and sponsors
| Name |
|---|
| National Bureau of Statistics of China (国家统计局) |
Sampling
The enumeration areas (EAs) are standard village-level administrative entities used by the NBS for statistics. The EAs were divided by the areas under the jurisdiction of the villager (resident) committees. Each EA was equipped with at least one census supervisor. Sub-EAs were set up under EAs.
A combination of complete and sample enumeration was applied in the Third National Agricultural Census. Census data was collected based on a complete enumeration basis. Sampling methods were used to collect data for the Crop Field Survey.
For the Crop Field Survey, five survey segments (with a size of 200 m x 200 m) were selected in each EA by simple random sampling. The natural plots covered by the selected segments were surveyed. In total, about 20 000 EAs and 110 000 segments were covered in the Crop Field Survey.
Survey instrument
Six types of questionnaires were used in the Third National Agricultural Census:
- Household questionnaire
- Large-scale household questionnaire
- Corporate questionnaire
- Administrative village questionnaire
- Town and township questionnaire
- Crop field survey questionnaire
Data collection
| Start | End | Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-01-01 | 2017-03-31 | Data collection for the core questionnaire |
| 2017-05-01 | 2017-05-31 | Data collection for the community questionnaire |
| 2026-04 | 2026-08 | Crop Field Survey |
Reference day: 31 December 2016 for inventory items such as livestock numbers
Reference period: 1 January to 31 December 2016, for items such as labour, use of fertilizers, pesticides, and agricultural machinery
- Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]
The information from the households and entities was collected using computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI) using personal digital assistants (PDA). The community survey was completed directly by Agricultural Census Offices and relevant information was collected. More than 50 000 staff members participated in the measurement of the sown area of grain, cotton and other staple crops using satellite remote sensing technology (the sown area was collected by a questionnaire at the same time).
Nearly four million census staff (including enumerators, supervisors and staff members) were involved in fieldwork activities. The number of enumerators and supervisors amounted to 3 953 776.
Field data collection took place between 1 January to 31 March 2017. A community survey was conducted in May 2017. A Crop Field Survey (CFS) was carried out in several waves, depending on the sowing time (during April - May 2016 and August 2016).
QUALITY ASSURANCE
In accordance with international practice, the Steering Group Office of the census carried out the post-enumeration survey (PES) for quality assessment. The survey results indicate that the percentage of coverage omission of registered households was 0.19 percent and the rate of difference with the census data was 0.4 percent, which fulfilled the designed data quality standard.
Data Access
For data access and use information please contact the National Bureau of Statistics of China.
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/
Contacts
| Name | URL | |
|---|---|---|
| National Bureau of Statistics of China (国家统计局) | [email protected] | http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/ |
Metadata production
DDI_CHN_2016_TNAC_v01_M_v01_A_ESS_FAO
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Bureau of Statistics of China (国家统计局) | Metadata producer | ||
| Statistics Division | ESS | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Metadata adapted for FAM |