What is the Best Indicator of Work Performed in Agriculture?

1. What is the Best Indicator of Work Performed in Agriculture? IACS-4 Beijing 22-24 October 2007 Pál Bóday - Éva Laczka

2. Outline • World’s agriculture • Hungarian agriculture • Needs for labour statistics • Differences in methodologies • A few data • Conclusions

3. Agriculture • Producer of food, provider of employment, source of foreign trade….. • 3-4 percent in total value added • 2 percent increase annually • in some region prime engine of growth • Agricultural population • 40 percent of total population • Economically active agricultural population • 21 percent of total population

4. A few data on the Hungarian Agriculture • 3-4 percent in the GDP • 2-3 percent in export • 1-2 percent in import • 2-3 percent in investments

5. Types of holdings (number) (thousands) Crop farming Livestock farming Mixed Number of agricultural enterprises Number of private holdings

6. Main characteristics of private holdings

7. Why do we need information on agricultural work? • Basis of the measurement of structural and employment effects of the CAP • Employment is important component of development in rural areas • Useful tool for policy makers, researchers, holders, for national and international comparisons

8. Differences in methodologies • Definition of agricultural activities • Agricultural population • Farm concept • Item coverage • Survey coverage

9. Agricultural labour force • FAO:all persons economically active in agriculture • Population census / LFS: all household member who’s main occupation is agriculture • Farm Structure Survey:all persons having reached school leaving ageand carried out work on the holding

10. Farm Concept • FAO: setting the threshold to the lowest possible level is suggested • EU FSS: Member States must fix the threshold at the level excluding only the smallest units which together contribute 1 percent or less to the total SGM

11. Thresholds in Hungary

12. Annual Working Unit Equivalent to full time employment • Agricultural labour statistics: 1 AWU=1 800 hours • Labour Force Statistics: 1 AWU=1 900 hours • FADN: 1 AWU=2200 hours

13. Item coverage • Population census: number of person and days worked in agriculture by age and sex • LFS: employed in agriculture defined by the main activity of the employer; individual businesses or private farms; hours worked during reference week; full-time, part-time work; other gainful activity • Institutional labour Statistics: number of full-time, part-time and other employees; average gross / net earnings • FSS: status of the household members (holder, spouse, other member); sex; age; days worked; economic activity; training and other gainful activity. For employees in full-time/part-time breakdown; sex and days worked

14. Coverage of different data collections Institutional labour statistics Labour Force Survey Farm Structure Survey

15. A few data

16. Conclusions • different needs require different approaches • objective of survey determine use of data • FSS covers all of agricultural labour

17. Thank you very much for your attention!