Agriculture Census Scheme- Objectives, Features, And Implementation
The Agriculture Census scheme's goal is to collect data from various agricultural sectors, analyze, record, and maintain the information for future reviews based on both social and economic conditions, and provide several policies.
Agriculture Census Scheme is a Central Government-aided scheme with a budget of 1091 crore approved during the 12th five-year plan. The scheme's goal is to collect data from various agricultural sectors, analyze, record, and maintain the information for future reviews based on both social and economic conditions, and provide several policies.
Objectives of the Agricultural Census Scheme
• Providing statistical data on operational holdings, operated area, land utilization, livestock, agri-machinery, fertilizer use, and so on.
• Providing benchmark data for the development of new agricultural development programmes and the evaluation of their progress.
• Providing a fundamental framework of operational holdings and their characteristics for future agricultural surveys.
• To lay the groundwork for the creation of an integrated programme for current agricultural statistics.
Components of the Agricultural Census Scheme
This plan consists of the following seven elements:
• Census of agriculture.
• Farmer Situation Assessment Survey.
• examining the costs associated with growing the main crops.
• Centers for Agro-Economic Research.
• Plan for management, planning, and creating policies.
• Agriculture Statistics Improving.
• agricultural output forecasting.
Essential Features
• The Agriculture Census is conducted with operational holding, and the unit is chosen as operational holding because it is the decision-making unit for agricultural development programmes.
• An operational holding is a piece of land that is entirely or partially used to produce agricultural products and is operated by one person or a group of people with no recognized titles, legal form, or anything else.
• The term "Operational Holdings" refers only to lands used for agricultural purposes, as opposed to lands used solely for livestock, fishing, or poultry.
• The Agricultural Census is carried out once every five years in India. The Agricultural Census is conducted from July to June, which is considered the agricultural year.
How Data can be collected under Agriculture Census Scheme
The data collection under Agriculture Census Scheme can be done under 3 phases, which are the following:
Phase 1
• consists of the following size classes: marginal, small, semi-medium, medium, and large.
• Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Others are social groups.
• Gender–Male/Female.
• Individual, joint, and institutional holdings.
Phase–2
During this phase, 20% of the villages are specifically chosen and canvassed for holding schedules in each tehsil to collect data such as:
• Status of irrigation.
• Particulars of the tenancy.
• Patterns for cropping.
• Holdings are being dispersed.
Phase -3
The input survey is the name given to this stage of the Agricultural Census. During this phase, 7% of villages in each tehsil are chosen, and an estimate for the Input characteristics at the District/State/National levels is prepared. The following information was gathered during the input survey:
• Fertilizer, irrigation, seed, and pest management are examples of input patterns.
• Credits for agriculture.
• The size of the family.
• The holders' ages.
• Holders' educational background.
• Cropping multiple times.
• Holders of various sizes.
Implementation
• The Government of India coordinates and plans the activities of the Agriculture Census, and the execution work is carried out by state officials who ensure the quality of data.
• The Agriculture Census Commissioner of India is overall in charge of the Agriculture Census Division, and each state has a nucleus unit of staff who organize and oversee the Agriculture Census work.
• These Staff's nucleus units are led by a senior State officer.
• A State Level Coordination Committee oversees the Census's various activities (SLCC).
The Census scheme is operational in all states and union territories.
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