GUYANA is set to see a return of the National Agriculture Census after 65 years as government has collaborated with the United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) to resuscitate the nationwide survey.

Government is currently awaiting the final word from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the approval of the FAO as the technical agency for the national study, before the Agriculture Ministry along the National Bureau of Statistics begins what is said to be a very crucial survey.

The announcement was made Friday morning when the Ministry of Agriculture officially launched the census in the ministry’s boardroom.

The census is aimed at providing data that will yield sampling frame for the design of probabilistic surveys, benchmark data of the follow up and evaluation of agriculture policies and projects and becoming a national agriculture statistic system.

It will enhance the country’s capacity to monitor the priority agriculture policy areas identified such as food security, higher and sustainable income for farmers, ensuring better prices for agriculture produce, facilitating access to domestic and international markets, and increasing farm mechanism among others.

Acting Permanent Secretary of Agriculture Ministry, Joylyn Nestor-Burrowes said the census will also provide a framework for the overall social and environmental dimension of agriculture in rural development including areas relating to health, education, water supply, electrification of rural areas and transportation networks.

She said government has always recognised the importance of the sector in the economy.

“Statistics of agriculture play a significant role in monitoring policy instruments and plans. Authorities are aware of the weaknesses and gaps in the current statistics coming out of the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as the need to improve statistical methodologies in order to provide more reliable and timely statistics. It recognises that data collection work needs to be coordinated and the stats system needs to be integrated into the national stats system,” she said.

FAO representative Reuben Robertson outlined the journey the organisation has been taking since receiving a request from the government back in 2015 for technical assistance.

He said the FAO responded positively to the request; however, noting three fundamental issues. They included the need for the census to allow for evidence-based decision-making, taking into consideration that the last survey was done 1952.

He said government’s request fitted evenly with the country’s programming framework with the FAO, where the organisation had developed with government and stakeholders a three-year priority programme and strengthening of statistics.

He said the FAO recognised the that the implementation of a census will not only aid in the strengthening of partnerships but will make way for each of the agencies and organs to have a better understanding of the types of data sets and needs.

It will also allow for the daily functioning and decision-making and allow them to get an idea of the state of the agriculture sector.

The organisation, he noted, has been providing technical assistance under the preparation of the implementation of the agriculture census and called for all stakeholders to be on the “same page”.

The FAO has also been working with the agriculture ministry on a comprehensive document which speaks to the scope of the agriculture project and the cost.

So far the FAO has been able to complete the preparation of the project document, and worked with government to receive approval from the IDB. Government is in the process of completing the negotiation.

The Agriculture Ministry will be the implementing arm of the census and the FAO the technical service provider.

Meanwhile, a steering committee was also established to work along on the project.