**MEXSAI, Cancun 2 -- 4 November 2004**

**Challenges of Adapting the Slovenian National Statistical System of
Agriculture Concerning European and Other International Requirements**

**Barbara KUTIN**, BSc (Agric)

Head of Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting Statistics Department

Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia

Address: Vožarski pot 12, SI-1000 Ljubljana

E-mail: <barbara.kutin@gov.si>

**Abstract:**

The Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia started to adjust its
agriculture statistics to European requirements in 1993. The main effort
made in this period of adjustment was to provide methodologically
comparable time series of most important data for a sufficiently long
period before the changes were introduced.

The paper describes the main content related aspects of adjustment and
problems encountered after adjusting agriculture statistics to European
requirements. The future of agriculture statistics is also described
from the point of view of a small and heterogeneous country such as
Slovenia.

**Keywords:**

agriculture, Slovenian National Statistical System of Agriculture,
classifications, Statistical Farm Register, administrative sources in
agriculture.

1.  **Introduction**

The Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia started to adjust its
agriculture statistics to European requirements in 1993. At that time,
we were preparing the census of agriculture, which was planned for the
year 2000. Until 1997, data on agricultural production on family farms
-- which represent the predominant part of agricultural production in
Slovenia -- were mostly estimated, therefore the transition to
collecting data directly from family farms was quite demanding,
especially in terms of establishing the basic list of family farms. We
also had to determine a new threshold (determination of agricultural
holdings satisfying the criteria of EU comparable threshold).

The main effort invested after the year 2000 was to provide
methodologically comparable time series of important data for a
sufficiently long period before the introduction of changes. In the
field of agriculture statistics this was the period since 1991 (since
the last census before the year 2000) and in the field of agricultural
prices and economic accounts for agriculture the period since 2000 and
1995 respectively.

Due to the necessary rationalisation of work and costs, after 2000 we
started with intensive introduction of modern dissemination processes
(introduction of software for rapid and simple tabulation as well as
presentation of data and publications on the Internet) and using
administrative data sources to the greatest possible extent.

The paper describes the main aspects of adjustment in terms of contents
and problems we are facing after adjusting agriculture statistics to
European requirements. The future of agriculture statistics is also
described from the point of view of a small and heterogeneous country
such as Slovenia.

2.  **Adjustment of agriculture statistics to requirements of the EU and
    other international organisations**

The main objective in adjusting agriculture statistics to requirements
of the EU and other international organisations was to preserve or even
improve the quality of statistical data that had been achieved by
developing the method of data collection. At the same time we had to
take into account the legal platform governed by the EU or by the
national statistical legislation: independence of official statistics,
objective methodology and personal data protection. Introducing
methodological changes, we had to provide data comparability with
previous years. We were aware that various users will demand ever more
data, therefore we had to provide the easiest possible data access for
them as well as technically simple and rapid solutions for data
tabulation and analysis.

The basis for preparing the 2000 Census of Agriculture was the Register
of Territorial Units in Slovenia, which was set up by the Statistical
Office of the Republic of Slovenia and which is now being kept (from
1995) by the Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of
Slovenia. This source of spatial data on household addresses was
necessary for preparing fieldwork and later on for setting up the
Statistical Farm Register. At the same time this is also the single
source of territorial data for all registers and records in Slovenia,
which is the basis for linking units from various administrative and
statistical sources.

1.  **The period up to 2000**

The start of the period is 1993, while the first survey conducted by
taking into account Eurostat recommendations took place in 1997 when we
implemented the Sample Farm Structure Survey. Our purpose was to test
the questionnaire and fieldwork for the 2000 Census of Agriculture. In
the same year the Census of Orchard Plantations was also carried out,
which was completely harmonised with Eurostat recommendations. One of
the main purposes of this survey was to complete the list of family
farms with orchard plantations for the 2000 Census of Agriculture.

The main purpose of these surveys was to learn about the problems with
fieldwork, to test the use of methods adjusted in terms of contents and
to determine the threshold of covering agricultural holdings (to
determine criteria for European size class agricultural holdings).

The project of determining the criteria for European size class
agricultural holdings was entitled 'Socioeconomic and size structure of
family farms in the 1981-1991 period[^1]. The bases for determining the
criteria were the size structure of family farms in Slovenia, EU
legislation and criteria used in some EU Member States. An analysis was
prepared of data recalculated according to various thresholds. The
analysis compared coverage of agricultural production and costs as well
as the necessary number of interviewers for the 2000 Census of
Agriculture.

Classifications according to which data were collected also needed to be
updated. We had to take into account data comparability for the period
before the change and complementarity between the updated classification
of agricultural products and other classifications defining the same
products but for other purposes (e.g. HS/CN, CPA).

The final solution was a multilevel classification, which at the lowest
level contains a very detailed list of products. Higher levels of this
classification are determined by taking into account national needs for
data dissemination and considering to the greatest extent the New Cronos
classification. For the needs of data dissemination according to other
internationally important and applied classifications, we can prepare
conversion tables that convert categories in our classification at the
lowest level into appropriate higher levels of other classifications.

Monitoring of some data was connected with major methodological
interventions in terms of contents. An example is collecting data on
cattle herd where we were gradually harmonising the categories regarding
age classes of animals and supplemented them with the breakdown by
purpose of breeding. In doing that we had to take into account various
EU requirements: surveys on the number of animals and farm structure
surveys. In preparing comparable time series, we could not avoid
estimating data for the period before the change.

Preparations for the 2000 Census of Agriculture, which had been going on
since 1995, were the start of using administrative sources as we
understand it today. We had to prepare a good list of agricultural
holdings covered by the census. The basic list included agricultural
enterprises and co-operatives -- we have already been monitoring their
agricultural production every year -- and family farms -- we have had
their list since the 1991 population census. Because of great changes in
the 1991-2000 period, the 1991 list was out-of-date. For preparing the
list of family farms we have therefore used information from our regular
surveys and all available administrative sources, combined them,
eliminated doubles to the greatest possible extent and with the help of
the Central Register of Population updated the names of addressees
(*Chart 1*).

Chart 1: Use of various statistical and administrative sources for
preparing the list of family farms participating in the 2000 Census of
Agriculture (Source: Orešnik, SURS):

![](media/image1.wmf){width="5.75in" height="3.7006944444444443in"}

2.  **The period after 2000**

With the 2000 Census of Agriculture we obtained the basis for further
work in terms of adjusting the system of agriculture statistics to EU
recommendations: setting up the Statistical Farm Register and
preparation of methodologically harmonised time series of data on
agricultural products for the period between the last two censuses
(1991-2000). As regards the contents, this was the most demanding step,
which had been prepared before. In preparing harmonised time series of
data on agricultural products we were assisted by the Agriculture
Institute of Slovenia.

On the basis of 2000 census data, we calculated for the first time
production typology and economic size of agricultural holdings according
to Eurostat recommendations. This calculation was prepared in
co-operation with the Methodology Department of the Statistical Office
of the Republic of Slovenia and the Agriculture Institute of Slovenia.

As expected, users' requests for data increased considerably after the
Census of Agriculture. Therefore, with the help of Phare funds we
organised data into Data Warehouse and prepared the census database for
access with rapid and simple tabulation software called Oracle
Discoverer, which shortened the time for preparing tables. At the same
time, we anticipated data presentation regarding various size classes or
various classifications, which enabled subject-matter specialists to
independently and rapidly prepare data according to different requests
and formats. In the 2001--2003 period we prepared in the same way data
of the Census of Horticulture and of the Census of Orchard Plantations.
Later on the Office started modernising its web pages and agriculture
statistics were the first prepared for access via the Internet in
PC-AXIS format (http://www.stat.si/pxweb/dialog/statfile1.asp).

At the beginning of 2004 we set up the Statistical Farm Register
(hereinafter: the register), the main purpose of which is to provide a
good sampling frame for preparing samples of agricultural holdings. In
addition to the latest situation of address and contents data, the
register contains the history of data on agricultural holdings since
2000. The most demanding task in setting up the register was updating of
data since during the year and between individual years we use various
statistical sources (statistical surveys) to update data in the
register. In addition, we also used IACS (Integrated Administrative and
Control System) data to update the register. Various data sources are
prepared in various forms, so it was necessary to adjust the method of
updating the register.

The entire time since 2000 activities have taken place in connection
with harmonising other agriculture statistics with international
requirements (milk and dairy statistics, agricultural balance sheets,
statistics of agricultural prices and economic accounts for agriculture,
etc.). Most of these were properly methodologically harmonised by May
2004.

All the mentioned activities connected with adjusting agriculture
statistics to EU and international requirements were implemented by 2004
with the help of EU funds. This enabled occasional employment of
additional human resources, which is no longer possible for regular
tasks. Financial resources available for statistics are decreasing. How
can the system be maintained in the future? The only answer is
rationalisation of work within the national statistical office and among
various institutions, which means using modern technical equipment and
administrative sources for statistical surveys.

Because of the mentioned reasons, in 2000 the Agriculture Statistics
Department of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia started
using and studying the possibility of using data from various
administrative sources. At that time we took over data from the
administrative register of grape and wine producers as the basic data
for the Census of Vineyards. In 2001 we used IACS data for the first
time in a statistical survey. By using administrative data, we saved the
costs of fieldwork and decreased the burden of agricultural holdings;
however, additional work was required regarding methodological
adjustment of administrative data for statistical use. In addition to
advantages, we were faced with problems of using administrative sources:

-   the reference date of the survey and the date of updating the
    administrative source often differ;

-   difficult harmonisation in terms of sending administrative data for
    statistical purposes (it is difficult to meet the deadlines for
    publishing final data);

-   in some administrative sources there are major differences in
    classifications used, which requires urgent agreement on the method
    of data collection between various institutions keeping
    administrative data sources.

Already during the period of intensive adjustment of our agriculture
statistics to international and EU recommendations there were new and
different needs for data in connection with changes of the Common
Agricultural Policy (CAP). At the same time with the reform of the CAP
the contents of IACS data also change. By enforcing the changes they
will no longer be a comprehensive data source for agriculture
statistics.

What will be the future of agriculture statistics and to what extent can
it be predicted?

2.  **The future of agriculture statistics**

The needs of agriculture statistics are changing. In the past the most
important data were that on production and intensive production of
agricultural produce was emphasised. Today we are talking about
sustainable use of natural resources, about sustainable agriculture,
consumer protection and healthy food, users are asking about the data
indicating environment protection and sustainable agriculture, and data
on food safety and organic farming are gaining importance.

Data for calculating new indicators users are asking about are located
in various databases kept by various institutions. This calls for a new
approach and new knowledge in preparing statistical data. Good
co-operation between various institutions and good knowledge of
methodological bases of official statistics are important in order to
achieve harmonisation of various administrative sources in terms of
contents. We cannot avoid this because due to urgent rational approach
to data collection the use of administrative sources in statistical
surveys will be essential. Of course, we have to preserve the
objectivity and independence of official statistics, which means that
statistical surveys cannot be abolished, but only that the source of
data in statistical surveys will gradually change. It is important to be
able to replace at any time administrative data sources in important
statistical surveys with classical methods of data collection.

User's requests, especially from those users who need data for economic
analyses, have changed and will continue to do so. Official statistics
must follow the demand for data that are important nationally or for the
European or international Community. It is therefore our task to build a
statistical system that is economical in data collection, adjustable as
regards data sources and provides quality and objective data.

[^1]: The mentioned project was financed by the Ministry of Agriculture,
    Forestry and Food, while data analyses were prepared by the
    Biotechnical Faculty in Ljubljana (Department of Rural Economics)
    and the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia.