FAO and INSTAT present draft Agricultural Census Strategy

The Albanian Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) with the support of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) presented the draft Strategy for next Census in agriculture, including methodology, legal basis, information infrastructure and technology, logistics and fieldwork for the implementation of the agricultural census 2024. 

The agricultural census is expected to provide information on farm structure, agricultural farm records and it will contribute to a better understanding of the agriculture trends, needs and impact of agriculture on agricultural households and Albanian economy. “Census data can inform central and local structures in various decisions on agricultural policies, support schemes, technological development, and rural development and provide data for calculation of SDG indicators”, said Agim Pepkolaj, National project support specialist, FAO Albania.

The new agriculture census strategy guarantees an innovative farming census in the use of innovative, reliable, and cost-effective methodologies, and sustainable from technical, organizational, and economic perspective for making more informed strategic decisions.

During the event, the main actors emphasized the focus on increasing the quality and timeliness of consistent cost data, a comprehensive census, aiming to improve the participation rate.

Census of Agriculture planned to be organized in 2024 aims to have an environmentally friendly approach, as all data collection tools and instruments, including questionnaires and manuals, will be in digital format and interviews will be conducted using the CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviews) technique.

Successful implementation of the Agriculture Census will provide the Albanian Government and its users with agricultural statistics, which are needed to monitor the current situation in agriculture and to assist the government in making decisions, planning, and creating agricultural policies. or investments, data on agriculture and livestock, data on food security, employment in the agricultural sector.