| The “industry” of agriculture embraces agricultural primary production enterprises engaged in crop production, livestock production and services for agriculture. Since 2002 the Czech Statistical Office has harmonized statistical surveys according to laws, regulations and recommendations in force for the EU Member States. The data are mostly sample surveyed, the sample of respondents is based on the updated Agro-register, and the results are grossed up by statistical mathematical methods. 100% structural surveys, which cover all agricultural units, are conducted in the framework of Agrocensuses at longer time intervals. Since the year above, all data have been measured and grossed up (except for calculations of gross agricultural output) only for the agricultural sector and do not include own-account production of the population. The basic unit for records in the area of agricultural statistics is the agricultural holding, which carries out its activities classified to CZ-NACE subsections 01 (Agriculture, Hunting and Related Service Activities) and 05 (Fishing, Operation of Fish Hatcheries and Fish Farms; Service Activities Incidental to Fishing), defined by threshold values – i.e. by the agricultural land area of 1 hectare and over and by the following supplementary minimum criteria of 1 500 m2 of grown intensive crops – orchards, flowers, vegetables grown in the open, 1 000 m2 of vineyards, 300 m2 of area under cover, 1 head of cattle, 2 pigs, 4 sheep and goats, 50 heads of poultry, 100 rabbits or fur animals, and all holdings engaged in fish farming in water bodies. Meeting at least one of the criteria is sufficient for incorporation of units into the agricultural sector. The questionnaire on areas, yields and production of agricultural crops, used in the statistical survey on crop production is redesigned in compliance with requirements of international organisations. The crops are reporting net, without mixtures. Figures on hunting (CZ-NACE 01.5: Hunting, Trapping and Game Propagation Including Related Service Activities) are presented in chapter 15. Forestry, as they are more tied with this activity and due to the intention to maintain continuity with the yearbooks published before. Notes on tables Tables 14-1 and 14-2. Gross agricultural output Gross agricultural output is the sum of gross crop and livestock production (including intermediate product). For the reason of comparability the volume of individual agricultural products in kind is valued at 1989 constant prices to give the volume of gross agricultural output. The indicator comprises outputs of all holdings, including those of self-employed farmers, and estimates for other small breeders and growers (own-account production of the population). The values of gross agricultural output per hectare of agricultural land and per person engaged in agriculture are related to the average agricultural land area and the average full-time-equivalent persons employed in agriculture. Tables 14-3 and 14-4. Economic accounts for agriculture: production account The economic accounts for agriculture (EAA) are a fundamental instrument to measure the economic size and efficiency of the agricultural “industry”, or agricultural primary production, within the national economy. They include several aggregates: output of the agricultural “industry” - the sum of agricultural products and services produced by units operating in this industry plus secondary inseparable activities, intermediate consumption - measures own goods, goods for resale and services consumed in the production process (excluding the use of fixed assets) and is one of the key indicators of the production intensity of the agricultural industry, gross value added - indicates the resulting effect of agriculture as measured by the difference between the output and the intermediate consumption. It is used to assess the efficiency of agriculture within the national economy, net value added - the value produced by all agricultural units, obtained by subtracting fixed capital consumption from gross value added. The economic accounts for agriculture exclude units producing solely for their own consumption (e.g. kitchen gardens and private livestock raising). However, they include agricultural production for own consumption by farmers whose holdings are larger than the minimum size (lower threshold) laid down in the EAA. In accordance with new methodology, the output is valued at basic prices - i.e. using the amount received by the producer from the buyer for a unit of a good or service produced by the producer, minus taxes on products plus subsidies on products. The intermediate consumption is valued at acquisition prices of similar goods or services in force at the moment they enter the production process. The prices include all taxes on products minus subsidies on products and exclude deductible taxes such as VAT. Tables 14-5 and 14-6. Land use All agricultural and non-agricultural land is obtained by summing up figures on areas designed for crops, as recorded in the real estate register kept by the Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre as at 31 December. Agricultural land comprises arable land, hop-gardens, vineyards, gardens, orchards, and permanent grassland. Classified to non-agricultural land are forest land, ponds, lakes and other water surface areas, as well as built-up and other areas. All land figures are measured as crop areas of both holdings and non-agricultural establishments or of private owners, no distinction being made as to the type of ownership and land size. Table 14-7. Areas under farm crops Areas under crops measured by censuses taken as at 31 May include spring production areas (i.e., arable land areas; areas under crops in orchards and gardens, and areas of meadows and pastures temporarily ploughed and used for sowing), which are to be harvested in the reference period. They include: a) areas under winter crops , sown in the autumn of the previous year and maintained until spring sowing in the reference period is over (i.e. until the date of areas-under-crops census);
b) areas under spring crops , sown in the spring of the reference year;
c) areas under perennial crops , sown in past years and maintained until sowing in the reference period is over (i.e. until the date of areas-under-crops census).
The total area under crops does not include arable land areas, which are not sown or planted. These areas are given in the separate item “Set-aside arable land”, which refers to fallow land and all arable land not sown or planted for one reason or another, including temporarily excluded or not farmed land in the reference year (i.e. by the date of areas-under-crops census). Unlike Tables 14-5 and 14-6 “Land use”, the agricultural land and arable land given in this table includes the land farmed in the agricultural sector only – i.e. it excludes the land used by the population for their own-account production – i.e., excluding households of population and excluding land not used for agriculture.Tables 14-8 to 14-11. Main farm crops harvested and yields per hectare The tables list data taken over from questionnaires on final harvests of farm crops at the end of year. Yield per hectare is the ratio of harvest to production area. Harvest is the total quantity of a crop harvested at standard moisture content and standard purity; it contains lower grade portions of the crop (such as grain waste, small discarded potatoes, etc.), but excluding seed crops and crop planting stock, which can be used to feed livestock. Before 2002 the production area refers to the area from which the crop measured was actually harvested. It may be smaller than area under crops, if the crop is destroyed or ploughed-in in the sowing-to-farming period, or if the crop is not harvested. It may be larger than area under crops, if it is used to grow another crop too (e.g. if part of an area under green maize is grain harvested). Since 2002 the production area is equal to the area under crops (except for grain maize, green and silage maize and permanent grassland). Table 14-15. Fruit trees and bushes, harvest of fruit Numbers of fruit trees and bushes are obtained from processed questionnaires on final harvests as at the end of year. Harvest of individual fruits from fruit trees and bushes is sample surveyed at the end of year by means of questionnaires on final harvests of agricultural crops, and the data obtained are grossed up by mathematical statistical methods. Table 14-17. Production of chosen products in the households of population: 2002 The table gives an overview of the agricultural output in the self-supply area implemented outside the agricultural sector in the households of population. It was compiled from expert estimates of the results obtained for own-account production in the households included in the reporting sample of household budgets statistics and from annual data provided by the harvest and animal production survey 2002. Tables 14-18 to 14-22. Livestock and livestock farming intensity Livestock population is derived from livestock censuses as at 1 April of the following year (before 2002, as at 1 March of the following year). Cows are breeding dams calved at least ones, both mated and non-mated. Sows are breeding dams farrowed at least once (excluding sows discarded from breeding), both mated and non-mated. Poultry includes hens and cocks, geese and ganders, ducks and drakes, turkey hens and cocks (including young ones). Livestock unit is an agreed unit, into which each livestock individual is converted by means of factors determined as follows: cattle up to 1 year of age: 0.4, fattening cattle over 1 year old: 1.2, other cattle over 1 year old: 1.0, sows: 0.3, other pigs: 0.2, sheep: 0.14, goats: 0.1, horses: 1.0, and poultry: 0.004. Table 14-24 and 14-25. Livestock production and yields Cattle and pigs production - includes all sales of cattle, calves and pigs for slaughter in terms of live weight (the number of pigs includes home slaughtering estimates). Poultry production - includes all sales plus in-house consumption of poultry for slaughter in terms of live weight. Numbers of born and weaned calves or piglets - the difference between young animals born and lost by death: calves up to three months of age and piglets till weaned. The numbers of born and weaned calves per 100 cows or piglets per 1 sow are related to the average population of cows or sows. Death loss of calves or piglets - given in percentage calculated from the number of animals born. Included in the death loss of the animals are also whole discarded animals. Milk production - includes milk both drawn from the cow for further treatment and sucked by unweaned calves. Average milk yield - the quantity of milk produced over 1 year and falling on 1 cow in milk (including dry cows). Average egg-laying - the quantity of eggs laid by 1 hen (not per 1 laying hen only) per 1 year. Tables 14-26 and 14-29. Meat production in terms of carcass weight and average slaughter weight Meat production in terms of carcass weight includes data from all abattoirs in the Czech Republic. Inevitable slaughters are counted in the carcass weight providing the meat is used for human consumption. Average carcass weight of pigs excludes sows and boars. Table 14-30. Sales of main agricultural products: totals Total sales of main agricultural products include all sales by primary producers from their own harvest on more than 10 hectares of agricultural land to trading and processing companies, other sales (including products for in-house processing) and direct exports. Sales of crop products exclude sales by small growers and gardeners. The figures on total sales of crop and animal products cover the period of a calendar year. Sales of livestock for slaughter include cattle, calves, pigs, sheep, goats, and poultry in terms of live weight. Sales of milk include cream. The figures on sales of eggs include market eggs only (hatching eggs are excluded). Table 14-32. Consumption of fertilizers The consumption of fertilizers is given in terms of net nutrients contained in oxides, except for nitrogen. Agricultural production year includes consumption from 1 July of previous year to 30 June of current year. Due to the way of measuring, the figures exclude consumption of fertilizers by holdings of self-employed farmers. Consumption per ha refers to farmed (not fertilized) land. The time series includes conversion to 1 ha, so that the figures can be compared between individual years. Table 14-33. Consumption of plant protection active substances The figures on the consumption of plant protection active substances, which were collected from the records of agricultural holdings over 10 ha in acreage, are provided by the State Phytosanitary Administration in Prague.
In some cases the data published for 2002 are not fully comparable to those released in the rather long time series in the Statistical Yearbooks of previous years, which is due to the shift to the measurement of the net agricultural sector (areas and harvests of potatoes, vegetables, fruits, strawberries, numbers of hens, egg-laying). Minor methodological differences are drawn attention to in the methodological and other notes provided under the tables, where applicable.
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In-depth information on the agriculture is available in the following CZSO publications brought out according to the CZSO Catalogue of Publications 2003 (group 2 - ENVIRONMENT AND AGRICULTURE, subgroup 21 - Agriculture):- “Gross Agricultural Output in 2002” (Czech-English version)- April 2003
- “Economic Accounts for Agriculture for 2001 and 2002” (Czech-English version) – September 2003
- „Definitivní údaje o sklizni zemědělských plodin za rok 2002“ - January 2003
- “Livestock Census: 1 April 2003” - May 2003
- “Areas under Farm Crops Census: 31 May 2003” (Czech-English version) – July 2002
- „Výsledky chovu drůbeže“ – quarterly, on the 35th day following the end of quarter
- „Výsledky chovu skotu“ – August 2003, February 2004
- „Výsledky chovu prasat“ – September 2003, February 2004
- „Prodej rostlinných výrobků“ - quarterly, on the 33rd calendar day following the end of quarter
- „Měsíční přehled o porážkách hospodářských zvířat“ - on the 31st calendar day
- „Operativní zprávy o prognóze sklizní“ - monthly, July to October 2003
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