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Agricultural-Census

Agricultural Production Census 2017

New Zealand, 2017 - 2018
Reference ID
NZL_2017_APC_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
Producer(s)
New Zealand Government, Statistics New Zealand
Collections
Agricultural Censuses
Metadata
Documentation in PDF DDI/XML JSON
Created on
Apr 20, 2026
Last modified
May 04, 2026
Page views
36
  • Identification
  • Scope
  • Coverage
  • Producers and sponsors
  • Sampling
  • Survey instrument
  • Data collection
  • Data processing
  • Data Access
  • Contacts
  • Metadata production

    • Identification

    Survey ID number

    NZL_2017_APC_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
    Title

    Agricultural Production Census 2017
    Country
    Name Country code
    New Zealand NZL
    Study type

    Agricultural Census [ag/census]
    Series Information

    New Zealand has participated in the World Census of Agriculture Programme since the 1930 round. From 1955-1956 until 1987, a full postal agricultural census was conducted annually. Full censuses were also conducted in 1990 and 1994. Thereafter, quinquennial censuses were conducted in 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017.
    Abstract

    The aim of the Agricultural Production Census 2017 was to collect information about livestock farming, crop growing, fruit, vegetables, wine grapes, forestry and farm practices. The collected agricultural data contributes to the compilation of National Accounts.
    Kind of Data

    Census/enumeration data [cen]
    Unit of Analysis

    Agricultural holdings

    Scope

    Notes

    The census scope covered all businesses engaged in livestock, crops, horticulture and forestry production activities, or that owned land intended for those activities during the year ending 30 June 2017.

    The questionnaire collected data on:

    1. Location and land details
    2. Land use
    3. Forestry
    4. Livestock including poultry
    5. Supplementary feed crops
    6. Grain and seed crops
    7. Farm practices
    8. Cultivation and direct drilling
    9. Pasture renewal
    Keywords
    Structure of agriculture Land use Crops Livestock and poultry Forestry

    Coverage

    Geographic Coverage

    The Agricultural Production Census 2017 covered the entire country.
    Universe

    The following statistical units were defined for the Agricultural Production Census 2017:

    • Kind-of-activity unit (KAU): business or part of a business that engages in only one kind of productive activity or in which the principal productive activity accounts for most of the value added.
    • Enterprise unit: the overall business or organization.
    • Unit of interest: the unit whose data was collected. It comprises "one or more blocks of land, managed as a single operation, which is engaged in agricultural or forestry production as a primary or secondary activity". For approximately 99 percent of the population, the unit of interest equates to the KAU. The remainder, specifically enterprises owning and/or managing more than one "unit of interest", were identified prior to posting the questionnaires. The former enterprises were contacted to determine the best way for them to provide Statistics New Zealand with the survey information required that could both minimize respondent burden and avoid duplication.

    Cut-off threshold and other exclusions:
    Only holdings listed in the Business Register maintained by Statistics New Zealand where considered. The Business Register, which lists the country's businesses based on their registration for Goods and Services Tax (GTS) with the Inland Revenue Department, includes the following units engaged in livestock, crops, horticulture and forestry activities:

    • units registered for the GST and filing a non-zero GST return that have indicated involvement in an agricultural activity
    • businesses with more than NZD 30 000 of GST sales or purchases, or that are an employer having a main activity other than agriculture but that has indicated some secondary agricultural activity

    The compulsory registration level for GST is NZD 60 000 so there is a partial and unquantifiable coverage of units below this level.

    Producers and sponsors

    Primary investigators
    Name
    New Zealand Government, Statistics New Zealand
    Producers
    Name
    Ministry for Primary Industries

    Sampling

    Sampling Procedure

    The frame included all units that were identified on the Business Register maintained by Statistics New Zealand as having an agricultural activity. The Agricultural Production Census 2017 was based on a complete enumeration of the agricultural businesses registered for GST.
    Response Rate

    The proportion of eligible businesses that responded to the Agricultural Production Census 2017 for the final release was 85.5 percent. These businesses represent 88.3 percent of the total estimated value of agricultural operations.

    Survey instrument

    Questionnaires

    Data was collected using one questionnaire which covered 11 out of the 23 essential items recommended in the WCA 2020.

    Data collection

    Dates of Data Collection
    Start End
    2017-07-01 2018-05-07
    Time Method

    Reference day:

    • 30 June 2017 for total area of the farm by land use categories, for livestock, etc.

    Reference period:

    • From 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 for changes in landownership and new land acquisitions, cropped area, and number of offspring born alive, such as calves, lambs and fawns
    • From 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017, for forestry items
    Mode of data collection
    • Mail Questionnaire [mail]
    Data Collection Notes

    The Agricultural Production Census 2017 was a postal survey (mail-out/mail-back). The concerned farmers and growers were asked to complete and return questionnaires within 14 days of receipt. A complete return was requested for anyone carrying out farming, horticultural or forestry activities.

    Census operations involved 24 office staff: ten processors, eight data collectors, four analysts, one IT and one supervisor.

    Data processing

    Data Editing

    Data collection was done with online forms and paper forms suitable for optical scanning. Values were imputed for holdings whose questionnaires were not returned or completed. The method of imputation for missing data was random hot deck imputation. Data with high imputation levels were suppressed and were indicated by “S” in the tables.

    The published information maintained the confidentiality of individual respondents, and it was implemented using an input perturbation method, which involved adding noise to data at an individual farm level.

    Data Access

    Access conditions

    The data request procedure and the data request form are available at "Apply to use microdata for research" at https://www.stats.govt.nz/integrated-data/apply-to-use-microdata-for-research/.

    For additional information on data access and use, please contact the Statistics New Zealand.
    Email: [email protected]
    Website: https://www.stats.govt.nz

    Contacts

    Contacts
    Name Affiliation Email URL
    Statistics New Zealand New Zealand Government [email protected] https://www.stats.govt.nz

    Metadata production

    DDI Document ID

    DDI_NZL_2017_APC_v01_M_v01_A_ESS_FAO
    Producers
    Name Abbreviation Affiliation Role
    Statistics New Zealand New Zealand Government Metadata producer
    Statistics Division ESS Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Metadata adapted for FAM
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