Agricultural Census
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Agricultural censuses in the European Union
Since 1966, agricultural censuses have been conducted in the European Union every 10 years. The last Agricultural Census was carried out in 1999–2000.
The latest EU legislation obligates the EU countries to conduct the next Agricultural Census in 2010. Only Greece, Spain and Portugal are allowed to conduct the census in 2009.
EU legal acts determine which indicators must be collected by all EU member states during the census and how and when these indicators should be provided to the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat).
In the EU countries, the census is conducted in order to have information comparable between the countries which would allow analyzing the state of agriculture at EU level and estimating the implementation of the EU agricultural policy and development possibilities.
Agricultural censuses in Lithuania: historical review
The first overall Agricultural Census in Lithuania was conducted in 1930. A publication on this census (Visuotinis Lietuvos Žemės Ūkio Surašymas. 1930 – Vytauto Didžiojo – metai gruodžio mėn. 30 d., Kaunas: 1932) provides: “An overall Agricultural Census, which took place on December 30, 1930 – the year of Vytautas the Great, was the first agricultural census in Lithuania. Agricultural censuses had not been conducted either before the War or after the restoration of Lithuania’s independence. Agricultural statistics on crop area, crop conditions, harvest, the number of livestock and wages had been based on correspondents’ reports. <…> In the congress of the International Institute of Agriculture in 1926, a common census form had been adopted for all countries and census date – 1929 and 1930 – had been specified. Lithuania, as a member of the International Institute of Agriculture, had accepted this invitation and promised to conduct a census at the time specified. <…> On July 14, 1930 – the year of Vytautas the Great – the law on agricultural census had been passed; on October 31, the Cabinet of Ministers had determined the census rules. <…> The Agricultural Census in the whole Republic started on 30 December 1930. The census lasted for about ten days and all data were recorded as on the night of the 30th/31st of December. The census was prepared, conducted and data were processed by the Central Statistics Bureau (CSB) under the Ministry of Finance.”
During the Soviet period, data on agricultural crop area, gardens and berry fields, the number of livestock and poultry, tractors and other agricultural machines and buildings were provided by kolkhozes and sovkhozes, while data on agricultural parcels of inhabitants were calculated using a sampling method or administrative documents (agricultural record books of executive committees of districts). Livestock censuses were conducted periodically – every five years, census on agricultural crop area, gardens and berry fields – every ten years. Data were provided in the publications Agriculture and statistical yearbooks published by the Central Statistics Board.
The second Agricultural Census in Independent Lithuania was conducted on 2–30 June 2003. Private land owners and agricultural entities were interviewed. The census was prepared in order to estimate the number of farmers and their distribution by category in regional administrative units, to receive data on farming purposes, land used, agricultural crop area, gardens and berry fields, agricultural equipment, buildings, non-agricultural business, and to find out the number of persons employed and duration of their employment.
Document updated: 2009 12 15
