This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Agricultural census forms
20/05/2003
The Executive will shortly be sending out June census
forms to farmers and wishes to emphasise the importance of
this annual census.
It will form the basis of much of the key information
held about farming and is vital to the industry, related
bodies and organisations.
The census information has a direct influence on
Executive policy in providing up to date statistics to
assess the health of the farming economy.
The census also has a crucial role in enabling the
Environment and Rural Affairs Department (ERAD) to keep in
touch with farmers and to maintain an accurate register.
Essential new information on animal health or changes to
subsidy schemes can then be directed quickly to the
relevant farmers.
It is therefore important that all forms are returned to
ERAD by June 16. The date for the census this year is June
2 as June 1 falls on a Sunday.
The census will be a full census, with the exception of
minor holdings, one third of which are included on a
rotation basis.
All farmers are reminded that the census is a legal
requirement. A minority of farms from which there has been
no response for a number of years will be followed
actively.
A full response to the census is required for three
reasons. To ensure that:
- the census statistics themselves and those derived
from it should be as accurate as possible and not
undermined or biased by some non response
- all farmers receive essential information from
ERAD
- those who are no longer in farming let ERAD know (a
nil response would not immediately lead to removal from
the census register)