Inventory data reflect numbers on hand as of July 1, 1998. This is the same reference period used in the past, and 1993 data shown in this publication are the same as 1992 data shown in the previous publication. The census cycle remains every five years, and the years referenced in the publication have been changed to more accurately reflect the collection period. The census of agriculture is the leading source of statistics about Guam's agricultural production and the only source of consistent, comparable data at the election district level. Census statistics are used to measure agricultural production and to identify trends in an ever changing agricultural sector.
Many local programs use census data as a benchmark for designing and evaluating surveys.
Private industry uses census statistics to provide a more effective production and distribution system for the agricultural community. The law directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a census of agriculture in 1998 and in every fifth year thereafter, covering the prior year. The census of agriculture includes each State, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. The census data for Guam were collected in accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding approved by the Administrator of NASS and by the Commissioner of Agriculture of Guam. It was conducted with the cooperation and assistance of the Guam Department of Agriculture.