Islamabad, Pakistan is set to undertake its 7th Agricultural Census in September-October 2024 using an integrated digital count approach, a significant move aimed at enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of data collection on agriculture resources, livestock, and machinery across the country.
According to Press Information Department, this innovative approach, supported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) under the guidelines of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO), combines the three traditional censuses of Agriculture, Livestock, and Agricultural Machinery into a single, comprehensive census. This method reflects the best international practices and is designed to provide credible statistics crucial for policy planning in a country where agriculture plays a pivotal role in the economy and sustains a significant portion of the population.
The PBS has planned this census following the successful completion of the 7th Population and Housing Census, which was the first-ever digital census conducted in the country. The Agricultural Census aims to provide benchmark data essential for policy-making to meet the food and fiber needs of Pakistan’s populace, which exceeds 241 million.
To ensure broad involvement and acceptance, the PBS has engaged with partner organizations and provincial stakeholders, including the Board of Revenue, Agriculture (Extension) departments, Livestock departments, Provincial Bureaus of Statistics, and Crop Reporting Services. These collaborations are intended to incorporate diverse perspectives, identify needs, and address potential issues to ensure the provision of reliable agriculture data.
A series of provincial meetings have been held to discuss and plan the census operations, with the latest meeting taking place in Peshawar. During these meetings, the importance of agriculture to Pakistan’s GDP and employment, as well as the significant contribution of the livestock sector, were highlighted. The integrated digital census aims to capture detailed information on land, crops, livestock, and machinery, employing advanced digital tools for data collection, including tablet-based applications, digitized maps, SMS gateways, and call centers.
The PBS has established 157 Census Support Centers equipped with digital technology and has deployed divisional and district census coordinators for technical guidance and operational management. Training for census staff will utilize ICT materials and interactive videos/audios to ensure standardization of concepts.
This ambitious project represents a landmark effort in utilizing digital technology for agricultural data collection in Pakistan, promising to significantly improve the availability and quality of agricultural statistics for evidence-based policy planning. The provincial stakeholders have expressed their support for this crucial national task, underscoring its importance for the country’s future.