Agricultural Census 2016
Morocco, 2016
Identification
MAR_2016_AC_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
Agricultural Census 2016
الإحصاء العام للفلاحة
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| Morocco | MAR |
Agricultural Census [ag/census]
The Agricultural Census 2016 is the third carried out in the country. The previous agricultural censuses were conducted in 1974 and 1996. In 1962, a Multiple Objective Survey was carried out, whose results were published in 1964 and were reported in WCA 1960.
In Morocco, agriculture is a key sector for economic and social development. The sector contributes 12% to the national GDP and accounts for nearly 40% of employment. The agricultural sector requires detailed, recent, reliable, and high-quality data necessary to gain a better understanding of how the sector functions and its relationships with the rest of the economy. Further, this information is necessary to develop and design intervention strategies. The agricultural census collected detailed information on the structure of agriculture to meet user demand for data.
Census/enumeration data [cen]
Agricultural holdings
Scope
The census scope covered agricultural activities (livestock and livestock production, and crops).
The questionnaire collected information on:
- National agricultural registry identifier
- Location and geographical coordinates of the farm
- Identification of the farmer(s)
- Human resources
- Land parcel details and land use (2014/2015 growing season)
- Use of production factors:
- Livestock (herd size at the time of the survey)
- Farm equipment
- Land use planning
- Total household income
- Services
- Survey context
Coverage
The Agricultural Census 2016 covered the entire country.
The statistical unit for the Agricultural Census 2016 was the agricultural holding defined as an economic unit of agricultural production under single management, comprising all livestock kept and all land used for agricultural production purposes, regardless of title or legal form. Economic units exclusively devoted to hunting, trapping and agricultural services, etc., were not considered as agricultural holdings.
The census covered agricultural holdings satisfying at least one of the following minimum criteria:
- 0.1 hectare of Bour (rain land) utilized agricultural area (UAA)
- 0.05 hectare of irrigated UAA
- 0.01 hectare in a greenhouse
- 10 trees in "olive tree equivalent" for scattered trees
- 0.5 Big Cattle Unit (UGB) for cattle coming within the framework of effective breeding
Producers and sponsors
| Name |
|---|
| Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Waters and Forests |
Sampling
The list of agricultural holdings that was used as the frame for the Agricultural Census 2016 was prepared for the development of the National Agricultural Register (NAR); that is, the geographic information system containing aerial ortho-photos and satellite images, which identifies and locates the farms (agricultural holdings) and their plots.
The list by Douar (the smallest administrative division area) of agricultural holdings was prepared in 2015, by enumerators of Ministry of Agriculture, Sea Fisheries, Rural Development and Waters and Forests in collaboration with the local authorities of the Ministry of Interior.
The census was carried out with complete enumeration of all agricultural holdings from the frame satisfying the threshold requirements.
Survey instrument
The census questionnaire covered 16 out of the 23 essential items recommended in the WCA 2020.
Data collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2016-03 | 2016-08 |
Reference day:
- Day of the interview for items such as structure of agriculture holdings, livestock and agricultural machines, etc.
Reference period:
- 1 September 2014 to 31 August 2015, for crop production, land use, labour and use of fertilizers, etc.
- Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]
The staff involved in census data collection amounted to 2440 staff, of whom 1820 were enumerators; 450 controllers; 110 supervisors; 34 geomaticians, topographers and cartographers; and 26 staff with other functions.
The data collection method was face-to-face interviews with CAPI (tablets). The enumerator delimited the holding and its plots in the tablet. The holding number and the plot number were generated automatically by the information system (back-office application) stored in the central server.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
The main mechanisms conducted to ensure quality of the census operations and the data were:
- Agreement with Royal Centre for Remote Sensing for exchange of experience and technical assistance;
- Technical assistance from a private service provider, specialized in the field of cartography, remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS);
- Workshops with stakeholders in the agricultural sector (Central Directorate, Regional Directorate, Provincial Directorate, institutions under supervision, etc.) for the development of the methodology and the design of the questionnaire;
- Involvement of other ministerial departments, such as the High Commission for Planning (HCP), the Ministry of the Economy, the Ministry of the Interior, in order to (i) identify their specific agricultural information needs and (ii) participate in carrying out the census;
- Recruitment of experts of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for technical assistance on methodology, questionnaire design, tabulation plan design and the integration of gender in agricultural statistics;
- Requirement of an agricultural technician diploma for the recruitment of enumerators;
- A pilot census was carried out to evaluate and adjust all the steps of the census operations;
- A survey referred to as “Data validation survey” was conducted in parallel with the census, and it consisted of repeating the census questionnaire on a representative sample of 32 580 households in order to assess the accuracy and reliability of data, coverage errors, and sources of error (observational, delimitation, and response);
- Organization of workshops to validate the census results with experts in the field at central, regional, and provincial levels;
- Comparison with data series from statistical surveys and administrative data.
Data processing
The data entry application installed in the tablets allowed enumerators to access the central server by login name and password. The enumerator first delimited the holding and its plots and then completed the information for each plot. The data entry application automatically generated the ortho-photo code, the holding number and the plot number by accessing the central database via the Internet. Once the enumerator completed the questionnaire, collected data was transmitted from the tablet to the central server which hosted the data. Data processing was carried out using PostgreSQL, PHP, 2IE and ArcGIS software, QGIS software for geographical data, and IBM SPSS Statistics software for analysis and tabular data.
Data Access
For data access and use information please contact the Strategy and Statistics Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sea Fisheries, Rural Development and Waters and Forests.
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.agriculture.gov.ma
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategy and Statistics Department | Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Waters and Forests | [email protected] | https://www.agriculture.gov.ma |
Metadata production
DDI_MAR_2016_AC_v01_M_v01_A_ESS_FAO
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategy and Statistics Department | Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Waters and Forests | Metadata producer | |
| Statistics Division | ESS | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Metadata adapted for FAM |