Agricultural Census Scheme

It was started in 1970, as a central Sector Scheme with 100% financial assistance to the States/U.Ts.

Every five years, an agricultural census is conducted in India and the reference year for the first Agriculture Census was 1970-71.

Centre only provides funds and entire work is done by the state only.

Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is the nodal ministry of this scheme.

Agricultural Census is the largest countrywide statistical quinquennial operation undertaken by Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India.

Primary and secondary data on structure of Indian agriculture are collected under this operation using the machinery of the State governments.

The Census is carried out in three Phases.

In the first category are States where the village revenue agency collects statistics relating to land holdings as a part of land records. This is done by village officials on the basis of actual inspection in the field at periodic intervals. Standard forms have been prescribed for this purpose. These data are then aggregated at the level of Revenue Inspector Circle, Tehsil, District and State by the officers of Revenue/Agriculture Departments.

The second category consists of States of West Bengal, Orissa, and Kerala, where revenue agencies do not exists. In these states, information is collected on a sample area under principal crops and land utilisation. This is done by complete field to field enumeration of the sample villages.

The third category consists of States and Union Territories mostly in the North-Eastern Region (except Assam) which are neither surveyed for land records nor the requisite revenue.agencies for collection of data exist. In these areas the statistics of land records are collected on a sample basis on the basis of personal knowledge of Revenue Officer/Agricultural Officer.

The Field Operations Division of NSSO (National Sample Survey Office) has the overall responsibility of providing technical guidance to the States in developing suitable survey techniques for obtaining timely and reliable estimates of crop yield, bringing out uniformity in definitions and concepts and providing assistance in training the State field personnel.

It also undertakes supervision over the primary field work of the State Governments in respect of area enumeration, area aggregation and Crop Cutting Experiments.

The supervision on field work for qualitative improvement in Agricultural Statistics is carried out through well-organized sample survey under Improvement of Crop Statistics (ICS) Scheme.

The Scheme aims at locating, through joint efforts of Central and State agencies, the deficiencies in the State system of Crop Statistics and suggesting remedial measures for effecting lasting improvements.

The ICS scheme is in operation in 18 Land Record States/UTs and 3 Non-land Record States.In Union Budget, 2017-18, Rs. 225 crore was allocated for Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Census & Statistics under 4 different scheme with different goals.

1. Agricultural Census Scheme (Agriculture Census 2015- 16, Collection of Input data (survey) 2016-17 in States/UTs)

2. Comprehensive Scheme for Studying the Cost of Cultivation of Principal Crops in India (Cost of cultivation estimates of 25 crops)

3. Improvement of Agricultural Statistics Scheme (Area estimates under principal crops of kharif and rabi seasons)

4. Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Cooperation (Registration of 20 new cooperatives, Income generating programmes to benefit 10000 persons, 25 SHGs (Self Help Group) to be converted into cooperatives, Organisation of 100 training programmes)

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