Press Releases

The Statistical Service announces that it is carrying out a Census on the Structure of Agricultural Holdings.

The census of agriculture is being carried out in all Member States of the European Union, in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2018/1091 of the European Parliament and of the Council on integrated farm statistics, in order to examine the trends in the structure of agricultural (crop and livestock) holdings.

The information to be collected is considered useful for the evaluation of the changes in the structure of the agricultural sector and for the formulation and implementation of new policies for agriculture and the rural areas in general. The data will also be used by the public, researchers, farmers and policy-makers to better understand the agricultural and livestock farming system in Cyprus and the impact of agriculture on the environment. The information is particularly important at the EU level as well, since it forms the basis for designing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reviewing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and other related policies.

The census of agriculture is carried out at intervals of around 10 years. This is the seventh census of agriculture conducted after the independence of Cyprus. The previous ones were held in 1960, 1977, 1985, 1994, 2003 and 2010.

The census of 2020 covers the following aspects:

• general characteristics of the holding and the holder (identifiers of the holding, legal personality and management of the holding, characteristics of the holder and/or the manager such as age, gender, legal status, level of agricultural training, main occupation, land tenure, location of holding),
• land (land use by crop categories, irrigation by crop, organic farming),
• livestock (livestock numbers by breed and age, organic livestock farming),
• animal housing and manure management (places available in animal housing, manure application techniques and storage),
• labour force (characteristics of people working on the holding, other gainful activities of the holding),
• rural development measures.

The data will be collected during the period September 2020 to April 2021. Data collection will be carried out by paper questionnaires filled out by enumerators of the Statistical Service during personal visits to all farm holders. Enumerators will bear an authorization card issued by the Statistical Service. All enumerators have been well trained in order to properly fill in the questionnaire.

The census is conducted according to the Statistics Law, No. 15(I) of 2000. Participation in the census is mandatory. The Statistical Service is obliged to treat all information obtained as confidential. It will be used solely for statistical purposes. The Law provides the respondents with the appropriate safeguards as to the protection of their personal data during their processing.

For the success of the census, the Statistical Service relies on the active and committed participation of all farmers, which is essential to ensure the accuracy and quality of the data collected.

For further information regarding the census, those interested can visit the website of the census of agriculture 2020 www.agricensus2020.gov.cy. They can also contact the Statistical Service at the following telephone numbers:

Lefkosia                        22602222, 22602204

Lemesos                       25270603, 25270602

Larnaka/Ammochostos       24205834, 24205835

Pafos                             26804436, 26804443

On the occasion of the census of agriculture, the Statistical Service publishes an infographic with the latest available data on agriculture and livestock, as well as an information leaflet which answers to questions such as why the census is needed, when and how data will be collected, what kind of documentation is needed in order to complete the questionnaire quickly, how the confidentiality of information and personal data is safeguarded, when the results of the census will be available etc.

For more information:

Census of Agriculture – Information Leaflet (Greek)

Infographic

Contact

Evi Kalogirou Demetriou: Tel.: +357 22602168, Email: ekalogirou@cystat.mof.gov.cy

Loukia Alexandrou: Tel.: +357 22605124, Email: lalexandrou@cystat.mof.gov.cy

(EH)