7105.0 - ABS Agriculture Statistics Collection Strategy - 2008-09 and beyond, 2008-09  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 17/12/2008   
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PROPOSED CHANGES TO AGRICULTURE SURVEY PROGRAM

SUMMARY OF CURRENT PROGRAM

A summary of the current ABS agriculture and natural resource management (NRM) survey program schedule is as follows. It shows that the Agricultural Census is held every 5 years with the Agricultural Survey held in intercensal years. The NRM survey is conducted every 2nd year.

1.1 CURRENT ABS AGRICULTURE AND NRM SURVEY PROGRAM

Survey reference yearSurvey nameSurvey in fieldResults available

2007-08ARMSJuly 2008Nov 2008 Prelim
May 2009 Final
2008-09NRMJuly 2009May 2010
Ag SurveyJuly 2009Nov 2009 Prelim
May 2010 Final
2009-10Ag SurveyJuly 2010Nov 2010 Prelim
May 2011 Final
2010-11NRMJuly 2011May 2012
Ag CensusJuly 2011Nov 2011 Prelim
May 2012 Final
2011-12Ag surveyJuly 2012May 2013


It should be noted that this summary isn't comprehensive as it doesn't include all the various agricultural surveys that ABS runs such as the quarterly livestock survey. The intent is primarily to highlight how the NRM and Ag surveys would interact if the NRM survey was changed by one year.

PROPOSED NEW SURVEY PROGRAM

The ABS is proposing to change both the timing and the content of it's Agricultural and NRM survey programs. Table 1.2 presents the proposed new program survey schedule. Table 1.3 presents the broad information requirements to be collected in the Agriculture survey program.

Essentially the NRM survey will move forward by one year to better meet the reporting needs of the Caring for our Country initiative. This means for the 2008-09 reference year, there will be no ABS NRM survey conducted. For the 2009-10 reference year, an NRM survey will be conducted to be known as the Resource Managers survey. It is possible that the Agriculture survey and Resource Managers survey will be combined along similar lines to the 2007-08 ARMS.

1.2 PROPOSED AGRICULTURE AND NRM SURVEY PROGRAM

Survey reference yearSurvey nameSurvey in fieldResults available

2007-08ARMSJuly 2008Nov 2008 Prelim
May 2009 Final
2008-09Ag SurveyJuly 2009Nov 2009 Prelim
May 2010 Final
2009-10Ag Survey and Resource Managers Survey, possibly combined as ARMS July 2010Nov 2010 Prelim
May 2011 Final
2010-11Ag CensusJuly 2011Nov 2011 Prelim
May 2012 Final
2011-12Ag Survey and Resource Managers Survey, possibly combined as ARMSJuly 2012Nov 2012 Prelim
May 2013 Final
2012-13Ag SurveyJuly 2013Nov 2013 Prelim
May 2014 Final
2013-14Ag Survey and Resource Managers Survey, possibly combined as ARMSJuly 2014Nov 2014 Prelim
May 2015 Final


The program and information requirements to be met are summarised in Table 1.3 below, and include:
    1. At the national level, the core set of commodities collected annually will account for approximately 90% of the total Gross Value of Agricultural Production (GVAP). GVAP estimates will be adjusted to account for commodities not collected in the non-rotation years.
    2. Water use and land use data requirements are met annually.
    3. The expanded list of commodities are to be collected periodically, including in each five-yearly Agricultural Census.
    4. Additional water information collected every four years to assist compilation of the ABS Water Account.

1.3 PROPOSED AGRICULTURE AND NRM COLLECTION PROGRAM

Reference period for the collection
Information requirements
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11

Commodity production from agricultural businesses - Annual component
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Commodity production from agricultural businesses - Rotation 1 - Supplementary component
Yes
Yes
Rotation 2 - Changing nature of production (response to changes in markets and environment)
Yes
Rotation 3 - Management practices - Current practice and towards better practices
Yes (some)
Yes (some)
Trigger questions
Water security - Annual component
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Water security - Rotation 4 - Supplementary component - water management
Yes
Rotation 5 - Resource conditions and management - protecting the natural assets
Yes
Yes (some)
Yes
Rotation 6 - Agricultural businesses structure / reform
Yes
Yes
Rotation 7 - Farm demographics
Yes
Yes
Rotation 8 - Agricultural businesses financial viability