Mariana CLIPCEA - NIS Iulia GROSULESCU - MARD ROMANIA

1. ORGANIC CROP PRODUCTION Mariana CLIPCEA - NIS Iulia GROSULESCU - MARD ROMANIA Task Force “Organic farming statistics” 07-08 March 2011, Luxembourg

2. Aims of the project • Setting up a collection mode for organic crop production • Analysis of data sources for organic crop production • Identification of the main organic crop products to be surveyed • Integration of administrative sources into the statistical system (comparability assurance, period of reference, definitions applied) • Studying the possibility of data collection on organic crop production through existing surveys (crop production statistics and farm structure survey) • Setting up the future data collection mode

3. Available data on organic crop production Area – certified – under conversion Production – only estimated data

4. Dynamics of operators and areas in organic farming • Source: Operators registration of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

5. Evolution of organic cultivated areas Ha Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

6. Identification of the main organic crops in 2008 Data sources: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development– area of organic crops NIS – area of conventional crops

7. Identification of the existing data sources • Organic Farm Register (Administrative data from inspections and certification bodies ) • Survey on crop production • Farm Structure Survey

8. ORGANIC FARM REGISTER The main objective is to gather and store data on organic farming sector Data collection - According to the legislationin force, data are collected exhaustively from the approved inspection and certification bodies, relied on the harmonised questionnaire. Data are verified, controlled, processed and then stored in a data base Frequency of data collection: Data are collected annually till the end of calendar year and are transmitted to Eurostat by 1 July next year Period of refference: agrarian year – for the organic crop sector Data dissemination: the results obtained are published on the Ministry Of Agriculture and Rural Development website and through press releases

9. Strengths and weaknesses of using the Organic Farm Register for datacollection on organic crop production • Strengths: • Data collection is based on Regulation (EC) No. 834/2007 and Regulation (EC) No. 889/2008; • Data are collected exhaustively, direct from the inspection and certification bodies accredited ; • Data control is achieved through their comparison to data provided by the territorial agricultural offices, where the farmers’registration is compulsory; • The rate of answer is very high, coming up to 100 %; • Data are collected annually, on a harmonised questionnaire set up in cooperation with DG Agri and Eurostat, which allows comparisons between Member States; • The use of administrative data reduces the burden of respondents and the costs for a new statistical survey. • Weaknesses: • The data on production are based on expert estimations.

10. SURVEY ON CROP PRODUCTION • The main objective is to collect data on cultivated areas and crop production • Coverage- Agricultural holding that utilises agricultural area • Data collection - According to the legislationin force,data are collected from the agricultural holdings with cultivated area • Periodicity – annually • Period of refference: agrarian year • Data dissemination: Press release, Publication on paper and CD, NIS website

11. Strengths and weaknesses of using the survey on crop production for data collection on organic crop production Strenghts: • The characteristics of interest are similar to those of the conventional crop agriculture; • The survey is carried out annually and data on production are also obtained. Weaknesses: • The legislation on survey development does not foresee data collection on organic crop farming; • The number of holdings with organic cultivated areas is reduced as compared to other holdings; • The representativity at national level can be assured by studying all agricultural holdings with organic cultivated areas • The increase of cost of the surveydue to sample size increasing,fact that affects the cost-efficiency relation; • The holdings practicing organic farming are ununiformily distributed; • The number of variables collected with the crop production survey would increase very much. These could conduct to important burden of respondents and could affect the data quality.

12. FARM STRUCTURE SURVEY • The main objective is to collect data on the structure of agricultural holdings • Observation unit- “Agricultural holding” – single unit , both technically and economically, which has a single management and which undertakes agricultural activities by utilising agricultural areas and/or animal growth or are maintained in good agricultural and environmental conditions, either as its primary or secondary activity. (Council Regulation N. 1166/2008). • Data collection–every 10 yearsas exhaustive survey, and between censuses, 2 sample farm structures surveys (2013 and 2016) carried out as sample surveys • Period of refference: agrarian year for utilized agricultural area • Data dissemination:Provisional data, Press release, Eurofarm file, Publication on paper and CD, NIS website

13. Strengths and weaknesses of using the Farm Structure Survey for data collection on organic crop production Strenghts: • Starting with 2010 FSS, had been included a certain number of variables on main organic cultivated crops. Weaknesses: • Difficulties in assuring the representativity at national level when the survey is not exhaustive; • This survey is carried out onceevery 3 - 4 years and is not possible to obtain annual data; • Data on production are not collected through FSS • The increase of cost of the surveydue to sample size increasing ,fact that affects the cost-efficiency relation; • The interest characteristics (organic crops) included in FSS do not cover the demands of the revised questionnaire for organic farming; • Increasing ofthe respondents burden.

14. Conclusion The methodology for data collection on organic crop production based on administrative sources represents the most appropriate data source. This method complies with present demands on data collection for organic crop production: - is harmonised at European level - has a legal base - could be improved with data on production

15. Questions on organic crop area • Level of detail: the list of organic crop is detailed enough • Area categories: • Area under conversion and fully converted area – no difficulties • Green house area – no relevant for Romania • Forest and wild plant area – difficult to approach this area • Main and secondary crops – only for the main crops in order to avoid duplication of area • Threshold for the reporting of area – for all crops in organic crop area

16. Questions on organic crop production Crop production: • Problems to collect crop production data: only estimated data from certifications bodies • Grass production: to be reported in green • Production for feeding: not necessary to be detailed • Threshold for reporting crop production data: only for crops with a cultivated area exceeding certain threshold • Thresholds for “crops from arable land”, “vegetables” or “permanent crops”: Different for each category