Census of Agriculture 2023
Northern Mariana Islands, 2024
Identification
MNP_2023_CA_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
Census of Agriculture 2023
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| Northern Mariana Islands | MNP |
Agricultural Census [ag/census]
The first Census of Agriculture (CA) in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands was conducted in 1970, in conjunction with the decennial population census. This practice was continued in 1980 and 1990. In 1998, the agricultural census was conducted separately from the population census for the first time by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). CA 2002 and CA 2007 were the fifth and sixth in the series respectively. These censuses were synchronized with the quinquennial programme of agricultural censuses followed in the United States of America. CA 2018 and CA 2023, the seventh and eighth agricultural censuses respectively, follow the programme on the same five-year cycle used for the main agriculture census of the United States of America.
The census of agriculture is the leading source of statistics about the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands' agricultural production and the only source of consistent, comparable data at the island level. Census statistics are used to measure agricultural production and to identify trends in an ever-changing agricultural sector. The census includes data on the structure of agricultural land, crops and livestock, farm characteristics, as well as production expenses, value of agricultural products, use of technology, and aquaculture.
Census/enumeration data [cen]
Agricultural holdings
Scope
The census scope covered agricultural activities (crop and livestock production), and aquaculture.
The questionnaire collected data on:
- Land in agriculture and land in use
- Root crops
- Vegetables and melons
- Fruits, nuts, nursery crops and hemp
- Irrigation
- Livestock
- Poultry
- Aquaculture
- Production expenses
- Equipment
Coverage
The Census of Agriculture 2023 covered the entire territory of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.
The statistical unit was the farm, defined as any agricultural production unit (called “place” according to country's terminology) from which USD 1000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the calendar year 2023. The farm definition is the same that was used for CA 2018 and for the rest of the United States of America. According to the census definition, a farm is essentially an operating unit, not an ownership tract. Therefore, all land operated or managed by one person or partnership represents one farm. In the case of tenants, the land assigned to each tenant is considered a separate farm, even though the landlord my consider the entire landholding to be one unit rather than several separate units.
Producers and sponsors
| Name |
|---|
| United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) |
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Department of Commerce (DC) | Department of Commerce (DC) |
| Northern Marianas College |
Sampling
For CA 2023, NASS compiled a list of agricultural production units that met the farm definition. This list included agricultural production units that met the farm definition on the CA 2018 and potential agricultural production units provided by the Department of Commerce of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and a variety of other agriculture-related lists. The list of potential agricultural production units was matched to the CA 2018 records using record linkage programs to remove duplication between lists.
The census was a complete enumeration of all farms from the frame which met the cut-off threshold. Namely, it included all holdings that produced and sold agricultural products worth USD 1000 or more, or that would have normally sold this amount during the 2023 calendar year.
Survey instrument
One questionnaire (report form) was used for the Census of Agriculture 2023. The questionnaire covered 15 out of 23 essential items recommended in the WCA 2020.
Data collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2024-01 | 2024-06 |
Reference days:
- 31 December 2023, for livestock quantity
- Enumeration day, for machinery and equipment
Reference period:
- From 1 January to 31 December 2023, for crop production, crop and livestock sales, irrigation, aquaculture, agricultural practices, labour force, and expense data.
- Face-to-face [f2f]
Data for the Census of Agriculture 2023 was collected via face-to-face interviews through pen and paper personal interviews (PAPI). Census operations involved 40 staff.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Various measures were taken to control non-sampling errors, such as compiling a complete and accurate list of farmers for the census, designing an understandable report form with clear instructions, training enumerators on how to ask the questions and record the answers on the report form, and minimizing processing errors through the use of quality control measures.
An independent quality control process occurred after initial keying where ten percent of the captured data was keyed a second time. If differences existed between the first keyed value and the second, an adjudicator handled resolution. The decision of the adjudicator was used to grade the performance of the keyers, who were required to maintain a certain accuracy level or receive additional training.
In Census of Agriculture 2023, efforts were initiated to measure the error associated with adjustments for farm operations that were on the list of farm producers but did not respond to the census report form. The error measurement was derived from the standard error of estimates at island level, where appropriate, and was expressed as a coefficient of variation at the island level. Every estimate has a corresponding coefficient of variation published with it and they are also displayed in the Quick Stats database.
Data processing
Captured data were processed through a computer formatting program. The program verified that record identifiers were valid and checked the basic integrity of the data fields. Rejected records were referred to analysts for correction. Accepted records were sent to a computer batch edit process. Each execution of the computer batch edit flowed as the data were received from the Census Bureau's National Processing Center. All census records were passed through a complex computer edit that determined whether a reporting operation met the minimum criteria to be counted as a qualifying farm (in-scope).
The edit examined each in-scope record for reasonableness and completeness and determined whether to accept the recorded value for each data item or take corrective action. Actions included removing erroneously reported values or replacing an unreasonable value with one consistent with other reported data from similar farms. Analysts used additional information sources, examined the scanned image, and determined an appropriate action.
Prior to publication, tabulated totals were reviewed by statisticians to identify inconsistencies and potential coverage problems. Comparisons were made with previous census data, as well as other available data. Counts of all selected data items for various sets of criteria which included, but were not limited to, geographic levels, farm types, and sales levels were reviewed. When necessary, data inconsistencies were resolved. 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.
DATA PROCESSING NOTES
The Census Bureau's National Processing Center captured data through optical scanning. NASS staff on site at the Census Bureau's National Processing Center provided technical guidance and monitored NPC processing activities. All report forms were immediately checked in. All forms keyed were then scanned and loaded into the Feith file cabinet. The images were available for analytical review of the data as well as for archive purposes. The keying staff evaluated the contents and captured pertinent responses. The images and the captured data were transferred to NASS's centralized network and became available to NASS analysts on a flow basis in all stages of review.
Data Access
Access and use information is set by National Agricultural Statistics Service, Department of Agriculture: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/quick-stats-agricultural-database.
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Commerce (DC) | Office of the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands | [email protected] | http://commerce.gov.mp/ |
| National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) | [email protected] | https://www.nass.usda.gov/ |
Metadata production
DDI_MNP_2023_CA_v01_M_v01_A_ESS_FAO
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Commerce | DC | Office of the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands | Metadata producer |
| National Agricultural Statistics Service | NASS | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) | Metadata producer |
| Statistics Division | ESS | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Metadata adapted for FAM |