Farm Structure Survey 2020
Austria, 2020 - 2021
Get MicrodataIdentification
AUT_2020_AG_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
Farm Structure Survey 2020
AG 2020
Agrarstrukturerhebung 2020
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| Austria | AUT |
Agricultural Census [ag/census]
Austria conducted its first census of agricultural and forestry holdings in 1902. Subsequent agricultural censuses were held in 1930 and 1950, and every ten years from 1960 to 1990. The last three Agricultural Censuses took place in 1999/2000, 2010 and 2020.
The Agricultural Census 2020, officially named Farm Structure Survey (AG, Agrarstrukturerhebung), collects data on the structure of agricultural and forestry holdings, including information on the size, the legal status of the holding, occupation type, type of tenure and participation in rural development measures. The subject of the statistics was the farm structure of agricultural and forestry holdings in 2020 with the topics: tenure, land use, livestock, organic farming, labor force and secondary activities, use of support measures for rural development, animal housing and manure management, reliability of energy supply, and other farm-specific information. The AG data are used in many areas of agricultural statistics and form an indispensable basis for appropriate agricultural policy decisions at national and international level.
Census/enumeration data [cen]
Agricultural holdings
Scope
The census scope covered agricultural (crop and animal production) activities.
The questionnaire aimed to collect information on several areas:
- Cultivation on Arable Land: cereals, maize, protein crops, etc.
- Land Use: land use, type of tenure, horticultural and vegetable cultivation, organic, and irrigation
- Livestock, Poultry, and Apiculture, etc. and Animal Housing
- Nutrient Use (e.g. fertilizer management) and Manure Management
- Other Gainful Activities: aquaculture, tourism, forestry etc.
- Labor Force: both family and non-family
Coverage
The AG 2020 covered the entire country.
The AG 2020 considered the following thresholds for agricultural holdings:
- 3 ha of utilized agricultural area (UAA) or permanent pastures
- 1.5 ha of arable land
- 0.5 ha of potatoes (including seed potatoes)
- 0.1 ha of fresh vegetables (including melons) and strawberries, aromatic, medicinal and culinary plants - outdoor, flowers and ornamental plants, seeds and seedlings, nurseries, or vineyards
- 0.3 ha of fruits, berries and nuts (excluding citrus fruits, grapes and strawberries) - outdoor and other permanent crops including other permanent crops for human consumption
- 0.01 ha of UAA under glass or high accessible cover, or cultivated mushrooms
- 3 ha of forest land
- 1.7 livestock units
The animal housing and manure management module covered agricultural holdings with at least one cattle, pig, sheep, goat, or poultry.
The statistical unit was the agricultural holding, defined as a single unit, both technically and economically, that has a single management and that undertakes economic activities in agriculture in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006 belonging to groups A.01.1, A.01.2, A.01.3, A.01.4, A.01.5 or to the "maintenance of agricultural land in good agricultural and environmental condition" of group A.01.6 within the economic territory of the Union, either as its primary or secondary activity, as it is stated in the Regulation (EU) No. 2018/1091 of the European Parliament and of the Council on integrated agricultural statistics. Regarding activities of class A.01.49, only the activities "Raising and breeding of semi-domesticated or other live animals" (except for raising of insects) and "Bee-keeping and production of honey and beeswax" were included.
Producers and sponsors
| Name |
|---|
| Directorate of Spatial Statistics, Statistics Austria (Direktion Raumwirtschaft, Statistik Austria), Agriculture and Forestry Statistics (Land- und Forstwirtschaft Statistiken) |
Sampling
The AG 2020 was conducted on a complete enumeration basis. It comprised a core module and three thematic modules on labor force and other gainful activities, rural development, animal housing, and manure management. All census data related to the thematic module on rural development were collected directly from administrative registers, which were also used partially for the core module, and the frame extension of this module.
The AG 2020 used the statistical farm register, a multiple frame continuously updated by using various types of administrative data (applications for subsidies, social insurance information etc.). The completeness of frame is ensured as newly created holdings usually submit subsidy applications and their administrative data are used for inclusion in the statistical farm register. Wrongly classified units are discarded due to the routine maintenance of the register with checks against those administrative data.
Survey instrument
One questionnaire was used in the AG 2020. The questionnaire covered 20 out of 23 essential items recommended in the WCA 2020. Data for three essential items were collected partly from administrative sources.
Data collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2020-04 | 2021-01 |
Reference day:
- 1 April 2020 for livestock and animal housing
- 1 March 2020 for people living in the holding
Reference periods:
- from 1 January to 31 December 2020, for land variables, irrigation and soil management practices, manure management, labor force
- from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2020, for rural development measures
- Computer Assisted Web Interview [cawi]
- Computer Assisted Telephone Interview [cati]
- Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]
The staff involved in the different phases of the census operation comprised approximately of 50 staff members in different units at Statistics Austria. The data collection phase of the AG 2020 was implemented with the support of the 68 chambers of agriculture.
CAWI, CAPI and CATI were used for field data collection. Census data were collected directly from administrative registers to reduce the response burden. The farmers were able to submit their return either directly at their computer (CAWI, 53 percent), at their competent chamber of agriculture (CAPI, 29 percent) or during a personal interview by telephone with staff of Statistics Austria (CATI, 18 percent). The following administrative registers were used to collect data: Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS), bovine register, the Consumer Health Information System (VIS, Verbrauchergesundheitsinformationssystem), Social Insurance for the Self-Employed (SVS, Sozialversicherung der Selbständigen), and rural development measures.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
A commitment to quality of Statistics Austria is available at https://www.statistik.at/en/about-us/responsibilities-and-principles/standards/statistics-austrias-quality-guidelines, and it is implemented by the quality management department. Quality was also assured and assessed by training courses, quality guidelines, designation of a quality manager, quality unit and/or senior level committee, peer review, and external review, or audit. Some actions were carried out to minimize measurement errors: pre-testing of the questionnaire, pre-filled questions, explanatory notes or handbooks for enumerators or respondents online FAQ or hot-line support for enumerators or respondents, and training of enumerators. A dedicated free hotline was set up by Statistics Austria to answer any questions that arose during the survey phase. In addition, queries could be sent by e-mail to Agrarstrukturerhebung@statistik.gv.at. Non-response was minimized through follow-up interviews, sending reminders to respondents, legal actions, and imputation.
Data processing
Staff from the central department carried out data validation. The data sets were checked for missing, incorrect, or implausible information, using an extensive plausibility application developed in cooperation with the IT Department, that detected and either highlighted or immediately corrected missing, incorrect and implausible entries. For each holding, all errors and information errors were listed and categorized. The errors detected (incorrect entries, missing or implausible data) were investigated and rectified by the processing team. Errors were eliminated and plausibility checks were carried out repeatedly directly via the application. The staff themselves corrected logical obvious errors. Missing or incorrect entries were completed from other data sources: administrative data from the IACS, or the Austrian agri-environmental program (ÖPUL, Österreichischen Programm zur Förderung einer umweltgerechten, extensiven und den natürlichen Lebensraum schützenden Landwirtschaft), the VIS, the SVS, the forestry yearbook, the Farm Structure Surveys (AG, Agrarstrukturerhebung) of 2010, 2013, or 2016. Where this did not provide clarity, individual holdings were contacted by telephone.
DATA PROCESSING NOTES
CAWI, CAPI and CATI methods ensured direct data capture. Data collected and administrative data were merged via the unique farm number/identifier.
Data Access
Data are offered in a database STATcube at www.statcube.com. A subscription provides access to more detailed data (LAU2 level) and additional features not available with the free guest access, which can be used to access data at the NUTS2 level. Anonymized microdata is not available, but task-specific datasets can be compiled if certain conditions are met.
Access conditions can be found at: https://www.statistik.at/en/databases/statcube-statistical-database/legal-points#c14898
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and Forestry Statistics (Land- und Forstwirtschaft Statistiken) | Directorate of Spatial Statistics, Statistics Austria (Direktion Raumwirtschaft, Statistik Austria) | info@statistik.gv.at | www.statistik.at |
Metadata production
DDI_AUT_2020_AG_v01_M_v01_A_ESS_FAO
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and Forestry Statistics (Land- und Forstwirtschaft Statistiken) | Directorate of Spatial Statistics, Statistics Austria (Direktion Raumwirtschaft, Statistik Austria) | Metadata producer | |
| Statistics Division | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | Metadata adapted for FAM | |
| Development Data Group | DECDG | World Bank Group | Metadata adapted for World Bank Microdata Library |
Metadata version
Identical to a metadata (AUT_2020_AG_v01_M_v01_A_ESS) published on FAO microdata repository (https://microdata.fao.org/index.php/catalog). Some of the metadata fields have been edited.