ASIA AND PACIFIC COMMISSION ON AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS TWENTY-FIRST SESSION

Phuket, Thailand, 11 – 15 September 2006

1. Opening of the Session
2. Election of Chairman, Vice Chairmen and Drafting Committee
3. Adoption of the Agenda and Timetable
4. FAO's Activities in Food and Agriculture Statistics in Asia and the Pacific since the last Session of the Commission
1. Overview of FAO's Activities in Asia and the Pacific during 2004-2006
2. Progress Report on FAO/Japan Project GCP/RAS/184/JPN – Strengthening Regional Data Exchange System on Food and Agricultural Statistics in Asia and Pacific Countries
3. Statistics on Rural Household's Livelihood and Well-Being
5. State of Food and Agricultural Statistics in the Countries of the Region
1. Report on the Situation Based on Responses to Country Questionnaires
2. Use of Knowledgeable Farmers as Enumerators
3. Production of Small Area Data from the Agricultural Census
6. CountrySTAT
1. Establishing CountrySTAT as a Basis for a National Statistical Information and Analysis System
2. Metadata as a Tool to Improve the Quality and the Usefulness of Statistics
7. World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2010
1. Presentation of the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2010
2. Community-Level Data in Agricultural Census
3. Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics in the Framework of the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2010
8. Other Matters
9. Adoption of the Report
10. Closing of the Session

Appendix B
LIST OF DELEGATES AND OBSERVERS

Appendix C
LIST OF DOCUMENTS

Information Documents:

Appendix D

INAUGURAL ADDRESS
By
Ms Thananoot Treetipbut
Deputy Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Information and Communication Technology of Thailand
Delivered to
The 21^st Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics
Phuket, Thailand
11 – 15 September 2006

Mr Chairman,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen:

On behalf of the Royal Thai Government and the Thai people, I have a great pleasure in welcoming you to the Twenty-first Session of the Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics.

We are privileged that Thailand was given this opportunity to host this very important event, especially in this year when Thai people are celebrating the occasion of the King's 60^thanniversary of his accession to the throne.

Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:

The majority of the population in most countries in our region is in the agricultural sector. As a good example, that around 42.7 percent of the total workforce in Thailand is employed in this sector. Statistics obtained from the latest Agricultural Census in 2003 shows that the total number of agricultural holdings was 5.8 million, and that 34.8 percent or approximately 22 million of the population is member of agricultural holders' household members.

Although the agricultural sector has played an important role in our economy, farmers have always formed a majority of the poor in the country. The overall global, regional and even national levels of poverty might have gone down as measured by MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) or other kinds of indicators, but there is still a lot of poverty in the agricultural sector. How to help them out? This is the challenge facing every country.

Moreover, at present the process of globalization has generated a new level of complexity in the world in which we operate. Changes are more rapid and fluid, instigating an even greater need for a country management structures. The governments are facing up to the challenges and should be aware of the importance of having a balance, sustainable, and cohesive national and subnational strategies to ensure the continuity of agricultural development.

Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:

Critical to the success of implementing these strategies is a good plan, emphasizing the importance of the result-based framework that focuses on monitoring and evaluation of its outcome. This requires a lot of detail, and relevant statistics as key input into the process. Without access to quality information and statistical data or a responsive statistical system and capable personnel, the result-based framework will fall short of achieving its intended objectives.

To serve this mission, the national statistical system has strived to make available such relevant agricultural statistics at high quality, timely and accepted standard. This requires close collaboration and coordination among data producers and data users within the country as well as across the region in the process of statistical development.

Looking ahead, once charged with this high expectation, the NSOs will have to work closely with their partners to establish:

– An evidence-based policy-making environment with reliance on quantitative indicators.

– Professional independence and objectivity, anchored on high credibility and strong reputation.

– Adequate information technology and human resource infrastructure.

– Responsive to changing users and evolving needs.

Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:

In Thailand, the final draft of a Five-Year National Economic and Social Development Plan to be implemented during 2007-2010 has just been released. "The Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy: the King's Philosophy" is put as a main theme of this plan. The Philosophy provides guidance on appropriate conduct covering numerous aspects of life and points the way for recovery that will lead to a more resilient and sustainable economy, better able to meet the challenges arising from globalization and other changes.

His Majesty has also emphasized on agricultural activities to assist the rural people to have better lives and self-reliance. In this plan, the government will focus on adjusting and improving of agricultural structure, emphasizing effective administration and management of zoning and identifying right time of planting. Food security and establishment of income base for farmers are also the areas of focus.

The National Statistical Office and the Office of Agricultural Economics, MOA have worked closely in a cohesive fashion in establishing efficient agricultural statistical system in the country to ensure that the monitoring and evaluation of related government policies and programs are followed through.

As I said earlier, it is clear that there is a rising demand for good quality agricultural statistics in the countries in our region. I understand that this Twenty-first Session of APCAS is intended to provide a good forum for us to review the state of food and agricultural statistics in the region, focusing on the preparation for the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2010 and the new initiative of FAO on CountrySTAT programme, among other new interesting developments.

I anticipate that you will have truly fruitful discussions in the next five days and that you can reach relevant conclusions and agreements which member countries can implement back in their own countries.

Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is an auspicious time now for me to declare open the Twenty-first Session of the Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics and to wish you
a pleasant stay in Phuket.

Thank you.

Appendix E

WELCOME STATEMENT
By
Ms Jirawan Boonperm
Deputy Secretary-General
National Statistical Office of Thailand
Delivered to
The 21^stAsia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics
Phuket, Thailand
11 – 15 September 2006

Sawaddee Kha,
Mr Chairman,
Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you, on behalf of Mr Sue Lo-Utai Secretary General of the Thai National Statistical Office, to this 21^stSession of Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics. I would like to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules and travelling to Phuket to participate in this very important conference.

I also would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to FAO for choosing Thailand as the venue for this significant event and providing Thai organizations to be part of it.

I hope this conference will continue the tradition of shaping a positive vision for the future in regard to agricultural statistics. Apart from this, we would also aim at building up a close networking in agricultural statistics in support of our future cooperation in the region.

This is now a pleasant season in the Southern part of Thailand especially in Phuket: well-known as "Pearl of the Andaman". We, as Thais, would like to invite you all together with your family to find time to enjoy our beautiful seaside scenery, as well as the warmth of our people.

I hope that the next 4 days will be very productive and enjoyable for all of us. Please do enjoy your stay in Phuket. I would like to assure you that my staff and
I are committed to assist you to make this conference a success. Please feel free to tell us if you need any further assistance.

I wish all participants a very productive and successive event.

Thank you,

Khob Khun Kha

Appendix F

OPENING ADDRESS
By
He Changchui
FAO Assistant Director-General and
Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific
Delivered to
The 21^stAsia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics
Phuket, Thailand
11 – 15 September 2006

Mr Chairman,
Your Excellency, Minister for Information and Communication Technology,
Distinguished Delegates and Dignitaries,
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all, on behalf of the Director-General of FAO and on my personal behalf, to this Twenty-first Session of the Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics (APCAS).

I am grateful to the Royal Government of Thailand for taking keen interest in the work of the Commission, for hosting this session and for providing excellent facilities and an environment conducive to fruitful and productive discussions. I am personally grateful to you, Your Excellency, for sparing valuable time to inaugurate this 21^stSession of APCAS.

I note that this is not the first time that the Commission is benefiting from the hospitality of the Government of Thailand. During the last four decades of the Commission's existence, this is the fourth Session of the Commission held in Thailand, including those hosted by the Government of Thailand.

I am particularly delighted that some 60 delegates from 20 member countries are attending the meeting, together with observers from international institutions interested in the work of FAO. I am thankful to the Governments of member countries for taking keen interest in the work of the Commission and for sending their delegates. As the demands for reliable food and agricultural statistics are ever increasing and the need to collect data on newer and more complex areas is becoming more prominent, sharing of experience between member countries becomes important for minimizing the duplication of efforts and for enhancing knowledge networking. I am happy to note from the agenda that countries, including Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, will be presenting their experiences and initiatives to other member countries during the course of this Session.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

At the first World Food Summit (WFS) in 1996 world leaders made a global commitment to reduce by half the number of hungry people in the world by 2015. The commitment to the cause of providing food security was reiterated at the 2000 United Nations Millennium Summit. The situation still demands that we accelerate progress towards meeting the WFS goals, as resolved by world leaders at the 2002 World Food Summit:five years later.

The provisional estimates made by FAO for the year 2001–2003 indicate that more than 820 million people in the developing world are undernourished. This does not represent a significant improvement compared to the situation prevailing at the time of the WFS. However, in terms of prevalence of hunger, we have witnessed an improvement in the developing countries during the last decade, particularly in this region where the percentage has fallen from 20 to 16 percent.

On the food production side, increasing globalization of economies in the world, and in particular in the Asian countries, is leading to a structural transformation of the agriculture sector in many countries. Diversion of agricultural land for urban and industrial purposes, degradation of existing agricultural land, a sinking water table in some areas, land affected by water-logging, and inadequate and inappropriate use of fertilizers and pesticides are causes of concern for policy-makers in many countries of Asia. While making efforts to contain these adverse and often irreversible changes, we need strategies to provide food and nutritional security to the rural population in this region which is largely characterized by subsistence agriculture practised on small holdings in rural areas.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

A new vision of sustainable development and agrarian reform is needed: one that responds to the challenges confronting the poorest men and women in rural areas around the globe. This was the issue confronted by representatives from government and civil society organizations who met for the International Conference on Agrarian Reforms and Rural Development (ICARRD) in March 2006, in Porto Alegre, Brazil. About 100 countries signed the declaration and reiterated the importance of traditional and family agriculture, and other small-holder production as well as the roles of rural communities in contributing to food security and the eradication of poverty.

The ICARRD declaration recognized the leadership of FAO and gave us the mandate to adopt appropriate measures to implement the ICARRD decisions. FAO was also expected to evolve a set of reporting guidelines and to identify the indicators to monitor the implementation of the declaration. The statisticians of member countries will have to make their contribution by providing reliable data to achieve this task.

Thus, in my view, the scope of your professional work has further enlarged
from mere measurement of agricultural development to gathering reliable data on agrarian reform and rural development which supports analysis to facilitate adoption of people-centred approaches. You will get an opportunity to discuss this subject during the session on "Statistics on Rural Household's Livelihood and Well-being".

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This is the first meeting of the Commission after the launch by FAO in 2005 of the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2010 (WCA 2010), the ninth in the series. The new programme will be useful to those countries which plan to conduct their national censuses during the decade 2006-2015. FAO has already held a round-table meeting for the statisticians of this region to make them aware of the new features of this programme.

The new FAO World Programme for the Census of Agriculture has added "Monitoring of MDGs" as one new objective of agricultural census. You will also note from the document on WCA 2010, available here, that the scope of the programme has been enlarged to cover a wide variety of new themes. It is expected that the modular approach to planning of censuses and surveys advocated in this programme will allow countries to collect data on a variety of subjects in an integrated and
cost-effective manner.

It is professionally satisfying to note that the document on WCA 2010 shows us a way to enlarge the scope of the agricultural census to cover various dimensions of rural life. A new dimension of community-level data has been added in the new World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2010. I hope that the suggestive list of indicators proposed under this component of agricultural census will help you plan your data collection efforts better, contributing thereby to the process of rural development.

A few papers will be discussed on the agenda items related to this WCA 2010, including statistics on aquaculture which is very important in this region.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

In order to facilitate wider analysis and utilization of available data and its effective use in the process of policy formulation, it is important to create – at the national and subnational levels – statistical databases with common data structures and compatible software so that communication and exchange is possible, not only between the producers of agricultural statistics but also between users and producers of statistics.

I am pleased to inform you that FAO has launched the new FAOSTAT just two months ago. FAOSTAT, which is currently the world's largest and most comprehensive statistical database on food and agriculture, has been redeveloped to better serve the users. It is gratifying to note that the FAOSTAT site receives over 10 000 hits daily and over 10 million records are downloaded every day.

Along with FAOSTAT, a new country-level version, CountrySTAT, has been developed and piloted in some countries. The product will offer a two-way bridge between national and international statistics on food and agriculture and will facilitate integration of efforts of several data producers within a country.

I see from the Timetable that the topic "The new release of FAOSTAT and developments in CountrySTAT" and the "Experience of the Philippines in implementing CountrySTAT", are going to be presented and discussed during the meeting. I invite you all to be aware of the capabilities of these systems and take full advantage of the availability of these products in the statistical systems of your respective countries.

I would like to mention that the work done under the Japan-assisted project on development of Regional Data Exchange System (RDES) has been catalytic. FAO greatly appreciates the continued support from Japan in strengthening agricultural statistics systems in the region, and in further increasing the analytical capacities in the countries. The progress made by this project will be discussed in detail during the Session.

I am also glad that an experience undertaken under another Japan-funded project on "Identification of Areas and Populations Vulnerable to Food Insecurity" will be presented at this meeting.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

There will be five important papers presented by delegates from Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, as I mentioned earlier, reporting on recent developments in agricultural statistics. I am grateful to the authors from these countries for their contributions and willingness to share their countries' experiences with other members. Special mention is due to Thailand for contributing two documents, one by the National Statistics Office and the other by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. I would also like to acknowledge the work done by Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, Philippines in processing and presenting the information provided by countries in FAO metadata questionnaire, in addition to
a technical paper.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

From the point of view of a user, the quality of data and the information on technical aspects as well as related concepts, definitions, classifications and procedures adopted to produce the data are of paramount importance. However, this aspect of statistics tends to be neglected in many countries.

Realizing the importance of this subject, FAO has taken the initiative to create awareness on this matter and to provide a framework for countries. Apart from laying down the framework for ensuring quality of data collected and disseminated by countries, the Statistics Division of FAO is working to prepare a meta-database on National Agricultural Statistical Service. For this initiative a beginning has been made with Asian countries. A subregional workshop on metadata is being organized in Manila next month. You will get a chance to appreciate this subject in depth in at least two technical sessions of this meeting.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

FAO's mandate is not just to work on developmental issues. It has played
a leading role in reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts for the benefit of people affected by natural calamities. Since the disaster of 26 December 2004, we have led efforts in advising governments on rehabilitation in the fisheries, agriculture and forestry sectors in tsunami affected countries. We have also helped to repair and replace lost and damaged boats and equipment, and to restore damaged farmland and coastal eco-systems.

The contribution of statisticians is also needed in providing data for assessment of damage caused by natural disasters and for planning for mitigation of its effects and long-term rehabilitation. In my view, community-level databases covering several aspects of the life and well-being of the communities will go a long way in this direction. I am happy to note that a round-table discussion on this topic has been included in the Timetable.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

APCAS has provided strong support for the development of agricultural statistics in the region throughout its 43 years of existence. The Commission works not only to monitor the progress in development of agricultural statistics and takes cognizance of the needs of countries, but it also sets directions for further developments of statistical systems by working as a platform for sharing country initiatives. FAO looks to its member countries in deciding new programme initiatives and for setting priorities in the course of FAO reform. I request that you observe how previous undertakings have been implemented and recommend directions for our future actions. FAO looks to you for this guidance. In turn, I wish to assure you that we at the FAO Regional Office in Bangkok are always ready to extend technical assistance to our member countries to the best of our expert capability, despite any resource limitations.

Finally, let me again convey my sincerest gratitude to the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand for hosting this session of the Commission. I acknowledge the hard work of the secretariat staff from the National Statistics Office and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand in the preparation and organization of this meeting. I should also like to thank my colleagues from FAO headquarters and the regional office for their technical contributions and managerial efforts for making this meeting valuable and productive.

I wish you all success in your deliberations and a pleasant stay on this beautiful island.

Thank you.

Appendix G

KEYNOTE ADDRESS
By
Mrs Anchalee Ooraikul
Secretary-General, Office of Agricultural Economics
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand
Delivered to
The 21^stAsia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics
Phuket, Thailand
11 – 15 September 2006

Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is my great pleasure and privilege to address the 21^stSession of the Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics or APCAS. The Office of Agricultural Economics, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand is honoured to co-host, with the Food and Agriculture Organization and the National Statistical Office of Thailand for this important gathering, which reflects the aspiration to promote the standardization of food and agricultural statistics in the Asia and Pacific Region. We would like to extend our warm welcome to all delegates and guests from participating countries. I am pleased to see that APCAS has returned once again in Thailand after its first session 1970, the second in 1978 and the third in 1990.

Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen:

During the last two decades, the industrial sector in the region has been developed more rapidly in comparison to agriculture. In many countries, rural inhabitants have been leaving the agricultural sector and become the workers in the cities where they can earn more incomes. The low productivity, price fluctuation and natural calamities that occasionally occur in agricultural sector are also the accelerating factors for the relocation of labour force. In some areas, the resources in agricultural sector have been left under-utilized due to the migration of farmers. If this phenomenon persists, it will cause the problems to the countries in both economic and social aspects. Thus, there is the need to boost up the productivity together with incomes in agricultural sector to make it more competitive and can encourage rural people to utilize fully the available resources for agricultural production. The agricultural sector has been changed to be more mechanized to avoid the shortage of labour force and increase efficiency and productivity. In order to keep pace with this development, policies and plans should be developed more properly to prevent any adverse affects to the country economy. All reliable data, information of relevant factors and alternatives are needed for its most effective policy results.

We are all aware that knowledge and information are essential for social and economic development. The Office of Agricultural Economics has recognized the increasing demand for reliable and timely information required for policy planning in agricultural sector. We have continuously developed our information system in combination with the utilization of appropriate Information and Communication Technology. At present, the Office of Agricultural Economics database covers a wide range of the primary data related to production, prices and production costs at both provincial and national levels. The information system covers more than 30 commodities of crops, livestock and fisheries with inclusion of socio-economic and early warning system. All major commodity profiles have been improved through the methodologies such as Geo-Informatics and Crop Cutting Techniques. We also prepared the necessary information and recommendation for the decision-making process of the government.

To develop effective policies and plans in the time of globalization and high competition in the world market, we cannot rely on only information of our own countries. The worldwide information is presently vital for development of such policies and plans. The changes in production and utilization of certain agricultural commodity in one country may affect to the others. The important of the worldwide or global information is true not only in economic aspect but also in politic and humanitarian issues. The adequate information of food supplies will facilitate the attempt to relief the state of undernourishment of people in the world. If food insecurity occurs in any country, the surplus countries would be inevitably supposed to provide food aid. With this in mind, there are many endeavours to establish the international agricultural information system where FAO is the major agency taking care of this issue at world level. In ASEAN+3 countries, which are China, Japan and Korea. We also have set up the ASEAN Food Security Information System Project or AFSIS Project. The overall objectives of AFSIS include facilitating food security planning and implementation in the region through the systematic collection, organization, management, analysis and dissemination of food security information.

As for the construction of effective international information system, I have mentioned during the Meeting of Directors-General of Agricultural Statistics and Information in ASEAN+3 countries, this year, that we need a complete set of data from every country. The aggregation of standardized data from all countries will allow us to correct picture of the regional or world situation as well as the comparison among countries. To obtain the practicality of the information system, every country has to provide required information to the system by using the same standard. However, the preparedness of each country is varying. We can hardly to expect that all countries will be able to function at the same level of standard or quality. As a result, we cannot solely improve our capabilities to build up the information system and leave any one country behind. All countries have to go together. The more advanced countries have supposed to provide necessary supports to the countries that have limited resource and capacity. The cooperation among countries has to be enhanced to ensure that all countries can provide reliable information on a timely basis and can make use of it effectively as well.

I heartedly hope that the 21^stAPCAS Session will bring about the better understanding and cooperation among countries in the region and lead to the success of our endeavours to improve food and agricultural statistics in the region.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Appendix H

ASIA AND PACIFIC COMMISSION ON AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS

Members as of September 2006

DATES AND PLACES OF SESSIONS OF THE ASIA AND PACIFIC COMMISSION ON AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS