pib releases 30-07-2022

Paper	Topics	Subject
GS-III	11th Agriculture Census	Economic Issues

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About agriculture census

It is a statistical operation for collecting, processing, and disseminating data on the structure of agriculture by covering the whole or a significant part of the country.
It is conducted every 5 years, which is being undertaken now after a delay due to the Covid - 19 Pandemic.
The Census is the main source of information on a variety of agricultural parameters at a relatively minute level, such as the number and area of operational holdings, their size, the class-wise distribution, land use, tenancy, cropping pattern, etc.
The first Agriculture Census was conducted in the year 1970-71, and till now India has conducted ten Agriculture Censuses so far and the present census with the reference year 2020-21 is the 11th Census.
This Census is organized by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture.
The data is collected in three phases, the Department brings out three detailed reports analyzing trends on various parameters at All India and States/UTs level.

About 11 censuses

This is for the first time that data collection for the agricultural census will be conducted on smartphones and tablets so that data is available on time.
The fieldwork of the agricultural census will start in August 2022.
Most States have already digitized their land records and surveys, which will further enhance the collection of agricultural census data.
The use of digitized land records and the use of mobile apps for data collection will enable the creation of a database of operational holdings in the country.

Data digitalization of agriculture includes:

Use of digital land records like land title records and survey reports.
Collection of data through app or software using a smartphone/tablet.
A complete enumeration of all villages in states with non-land records during Phase-I as done in states having land records.
Real-time monitoring of progress and processing.

World Census of Agriculture

The International Institute of Agriculture conducted the first Programme for the World Census of Agriculture (WCA) in the year 1930.
Beginning in 1950, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has been preparing and advocating the decennial World Programme for the Census of Agriculture (WCA).
The concept of agricultural operational holdings adopted in India differs to some extent from that of FAO, as it does not include those holdings which are not operating any agricultural land and are engaged exclusively in poultry, livestock & fishing, etc.