Agriculture Census 2019
Samoa, 2020
Identification
WSM_2019_AC_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
Agriculture Census 2019
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| Samoa | WSW |
Agricultural Census [ag/census]
The first Agricultural Census in Samoa was conducted in 1950, and it was followed by censuses conducted in 1989, 1999, 2009, and in 2019.
The aim of the Agricultural Census is to provide structural data on agriculture such as farm size, cropping patterns, farm labour, and the use of farm machinery and inputs. Conducting censuses every ten years provides the opportunity to monitor long-term changes in the agriculture sector which remains at the forefront of economic growth in Samoa and is key to ensuring food security, income generation and enhanced export capacity. The Government of Samoa gives priority to providing high quality agricultural statistics to help policy makers, planners and stakeholders to guide the sector in its efforts to monitor short-term and long-term performance.
Census/enumeration data [cen]
Agricultural holdings
Scope
The census scope covered agricultural (crops and livestock) and fishery activities. #PRODUCTION?
The questionnaire collected information on:
- Household composition
- Land
- Crops
- Livestock
- Fisheries
- Equipment
- Labour
- Other information
Coverage
The Agriculture Census 2019 covered the entire country.
The statistical unit for the Agriculture Census data collection was the agricultural holding, defined as an economic unit of agricultural production under single management comprising of all livestock kept and all land used wholly or partly for agricultural production purposes, without regard to title, legal form or size. The holding's land consists of one or more parcels, located in one or more separate areas.
Three types of agricultural holding were considered in the Agriculture Census 2019:
- Agricultural household
- Joint family holding
- Institutional holdings: these holdings include churches, government organizations, and commercial farmers
The following minimum size limits were set for households engaged in agricultural activity:
- 0.05 ha, that is, one eighth of an acre, of any crop
- 20 coconuts or banana trees
- 20 other trees
Households living in institutional housing such as hotels and boarding schools were excluded from the census.
Producers and sponsors
| Name |
|---|
| Samoa Bureau of Statistics, Economics Statistics Division |
| Government of Samoa, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries |
Sampling
The census frame for the agricultural holdings in the household sector was drawn from the Population and Housing Census 2016. Each village in Samoa was divided into enumeration areas (EAs). Household lists were provided for each EA, and these were updated during the census enumeration, so that the census covered all households in Samoa as at the time of the census. The household updating process involved identifying changes in the households living in an existing house, vacant or demolished houses, and new houses constructed since 2016.
A list of agricultural institutions was obtained from Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Census data was collected using complete enumeration of all agricultural holdings and institutions from the sampling frame that met the threshold requirements.
Survey instrument
Data was collected using two questionnaires:
- Household questionnaire, which covered agricultural households and joint family holdings
- Institutional holding questionnaire
The Agriculture Census 2019 covered 22 out of the 23 essential items recommended in the WCA 2020.
Data collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2020-03-16 | 2020-08-31 |
Reference day:
- Day of enumeration for inventory items such as area of the holding and livestock numbers, land use, and permanent crops grown
Reference period:
- From 1 January to 31 December 2019, for temporary crops grown, income and credit, livestock sales, and machinery
- Week prior to the day of enumeration for household composition, farm labour and number of fishing trips
- Three months prior to the day of enumeration for fisheries items
- Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]
The Agriculture Census 2019 involved 16 CAPI supervisors, 11 field supervisors, and 90 enumerators.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
A comprehensive array of data validation checks was incorporated into the CAPI data collection system to help enumerators identify errors or possible errors in the data reported. This was done as the responses were recorded so that enumerators could correct the data on the spot. The CAPI system also provided operational data to help senior census officials monitor progress of the census and provide feedback to field staff. It also allowed generation of summary statistics data which was valuable in assessing data quality as well as providing early indications of the final statistics.
Data processing
CAPI, based on the Survey Solutions software, was used to conduct the interview and capture data. Completed questionnaires were received by the CAPI supervisors in the Agricultural Census Office, established by the Samoa Bureau of Statistics to conduct the census. Each questionnaire was checked and, if any errors or missing data were found, the CAPI supervisor returned the questionnaire to the enumerator (electronically). The enumerator was required to complete or correct the data, revisiting the household, if necessary, before returning the questionnaire to the CAPI supervisor. Data processing was done using STATA.
Data Access
For additional information on data access and use, please contact the Samoa Bureau of Statistics.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sbs.gov.ws
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economics Statistics Division | Samoa Bureau of Statistics | [email protected] | www.sbs.gov.ws |
Metadata production
DDI_WSM_2019_AC_v01_M_v01_A_ESS_FAO
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economics Statistics Division | Samoa Bureau of Statistics | Metadata producer | |
| Statistics Division | ESS | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Metadata adapted for FAM |