Agricultural census begins

The seventh agricultural census has started today. It has been started to cover every subject of agricultural work along with the details of the farmers' families. The Central Bureau of Statistics has been conducting a national agricultural census every 10 years since 1961.

The data was collected from April 8 to April 15, 2022, in line with the government's goal of finding out the actual statistics of the agriculture sector and emphasizing its modernization and commercialization. The counting will continue till June 2.

About 350,000 farming families have been selected to collect representative samples from 13,578 enumerated constituencies of 753 municipalities in all the seven provinces of the country to collect real data on the agriculture sector. The sector contributes more than one-fourth of the GDP of the country.

The census aims to make the agricultural sector more systematic and effective in the coming days.

The census will take into account the consumption and use of land used by farming families, distribution of plots, irrigated area, area occupied by cereals, pulses and roots, oil, cash crops, spices, fruits, and production of major crops, seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers. Similarly, the number of livestock, condition of buildings and structures used in agriculture, agricultural implements, fisheries, beekeeping, dill farming, floriculture, silk farming, agriculture loans, insurance subsidy, environmental impact on agriculture, food security, and other economic activities of the family. Details about the existing land will also be collected.

The data on the land count of the ward, major agricultural production and productivity in the community, related development status and remuneration of agricultural workers, the impact of disasters on the community, service facilities, agricultural market, development plans, waste management, damage to wild animals in agriculture, community dogs and livestock will be collected, said Gandaki Agriculture Census Officer Jagu Vasyal.

According to him, the data obtained from the agricultural census will be used for the development and prosperity of the agricultural sector envisaged by the government.