Teagasc: National Farm Survey An Overview

1. Teagasc: National Farm SurveyAn Overview Agricultural Statistics Liaison Group (ASLG) Date: Wednesday October 12th, 2011 Time: 1.30pm Venue: Department of Agriculture, Kildare Street, Dublin

2. Overview • The Background & Objectives • The Team • The Process • The Data & The Outputs • The Future

3. NFS – Background & Objectives • Established due to the requirement under REGULATION No 79/65/EEC OF THE COUNCIL of 15 June 1965 • Long running – First started in 1972 • Has run consecutively for 39 years • Provide Statutory Irish Data to EU Commission (FADN) • Determine Output, Costs, Incomes By Farm System(6), Size(7) & Regions • Provide Database of Micro Data on Irish Agriculture for Research, Policy analysis & Stakeholders • Measure Variation in Technical and Financial performance for Farm Management/Advisory Purposes

4. The Team • Rural Economic Development Program (REDP) • Agricultural Economics & Farm Surveys Department • Operate the National Farm Survey • Dr. Thia Hennessy – Head of National Farm Survey • 16 Data Collectors • 4 Internal Staff • 1 Admin • 1 Researcher • 2 Technical Staff • Process 1,200 Farm Accounts Annually • Carry out 1 Additional Survey each year

5. The Process • Farms are visited 2-3 times per year • An accounts book is completed • Complete additional surveys • Submitted for validation and processing by internal staff • Farm Management Reports are generated • Populations from CSO • Produce the NFS Final Report • Year end evaluate/optimise the sample • Request replacement farms from the CSO • Farmers participation is voluntary • Undertake not to publish individual farmers data – guarantee of confidentiality • Increased collaboration with DAFF • AIM systems / SFP Applications Data / Payments Data • Finalise FADN data

6. The Data & The Outputs • National Farm Survey Report, Estimates & Final Results • Database of Micro Data on Irish Farms • EU - FADN • REPS Report • Standard Gross Output Data • Organic Data-DAFF • Input data on costs for CSO • Investment/ Machinery Hire / Quota Leased / Regional Tables • Data for Teagasc Advisory - Management Data • Data for Teagasc Research - Outlook Conference

7. Family Farm Income (FFI) • Principal measure of income used by the NFS • calculated by deducting all farm costs from gross output • family labour is not included as a cost • return to family labour, management and investment €16,939 €17,771 €12,190

8. FADN • The Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) is an instrument for evaluating the income of agricultural holdings and the impacts of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). • Ireland has a statutory obligation to provide data on Irish farm output, costs and incomes to FADN • Consists on an Annual Survey completed by each member state • Only source of harmonised micro-economic data • Representative 3 dimensions, Region, Size and type of farming • Most important source of information on European farms • Currently sample is comprised of 80,000 holdings • Represent 6.4 million farms in EU-25 • Represents 90% total UAA • Represents 90% of total Agricultural Production

9. Data Requirements • Require approximately 1000 variables per farm • Physical & Structural Data • Crop Area, Animal numbers, labour force • Economic & Financial Data • Production, Stocks, Sales & Purchases, Costs, Assets, Liabilities, Quotas, Subsidies etc.. • The FADN Farm Return is more limited in its coverage of farming activities than our own National survey

10. The Future • NFS Re-Structuring Plan • Reduction in Data Collectors from 16 to 11 • Increase in the minimum threshold for inclusion in the sample • Increase from €4K SO to €8K SO • Reduction in the sample numbers of farms included • Sample Coverage • Collaboration with other Data holders e.g. Co-operatives etc • Agriculture still important to economy • Allows monitoring of sector • Provides basis for evaluating policy