Agriculture Data Collection St Kitts & Nevis - revised

1. Regional Roundtable on
World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2020
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 22-26 May 2017
Agricultural Data Collection
St. Kitts and Nevis
Technical Session 18
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Ms Yakima Daniel
Agricultural Planner
Policy & Planning Unit, Ministry of Agriculture
E-mail: yakimadaniel@yahoo.com

2. Contents
 Crop Production
 Livestock Production
 Rainfall Data
 International Trade
 Agricultural Credit
 Commodity Prices
 Farmer Demographics
 Agricultural Surveys
 Agricultural Census
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3. Crop Production
 Crop Production data collected by the District Extension Officers
who visit farms then report the data to the Department of
Agriculture
 Crop Forecasting
◦ Done in each Extension District by District Extension Officers
◦ The method is akin to sample statistics
◦ About fifteen crops routinely monitored on monthly basis
◦ Acreage planted in district recorded by farm
◦ Age of commodity on each farm recorded
◦ State/Quality of crop also noted (eg germination rate/pest
infestation)
◦ Estimate of crop availability for the next month made
◦ Not an exact value of production in St Kitts -Nevis 3

4. Crop Production
Crop 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Cabbage 61 44 36.5 58.3 54.7 53.4 25.9 26
Carrot 172 133 139.6 132.5 141.6 125.1 66 63.4
Onion 51 82 32.6 66.9 80.6 37 68.3 70
S. pepper 27 26 22.6 29.6 34.7 43.5 40.7 32.7
Tomato 117 85 118.9 115.4 90.5 173 177.7 234.6
W. potato 239 200 73.4 162.2 165 - 164 0
Peanut 43 35 56.5 53.2 36.8 45.1 24.8 17.5
Pumpkin 96.9 122 200.9 137.1 99.1 158.6 134.7 56
Pineapple 69 100 136 160.7 172.5 175.6 120 17
Watermelon 64 126 125 58.1 84.7 196.7 73.8 64.2
Yam 18 18 26.6 37 40 52 59.5 45.8
S. Potato 197 230 198.4 207 175.3 255.9 138.8 127.9
1,167 MT 1,218
MT
1,176 MT 1,324 MT 1094 MT 755.1
MT
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(Measured in Metric Tonnes –MT)
Crops monitored on a regular basis

5. Livestock Production
Throughput at government abattoirs
•All slaughter for public consumption goes through abattoirs which
collect data on animals brought in
• Veterinary and Public Health Inspectors do ante-mortem and post-
mortem inspections
•Estimated production for each commodity (beef, pork, etc) done
based on an established average carcass weight for each type of
animal and number of animals slaughtered
•Average carcass weights are adjusted over time
•Data for home slaughter is collected by District Extension Officers
on their visit to farms. The total is reducing as the farmers are using
the abattoir services regularly
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6. Rainfall Data Collection
 The Meteorological Office located at the airport is responsible for collection of rainfall data.
 The data is then passed on to relevant ministries eg: Agriculture/Environment
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2016
Month Rainfall Rainfall Relative Air Mean Max
Absolute
Max Mean Min Absolute Min Wind
Millimiter
s Inches Humidity Temperature Temperature Temperature Temperature Temperature Dir Sp
January 34.1 1.34 72 26.6 29.6 30.6 23.5 21.7 70 10
February 59.5 2.34 73 26.5 29.6 30.3 23.2 22.2 80 10
March 52.7 2.07 72 26.5 29.4 30.6 23.3 20.3 70 12
April 37.6 1.48 74 27.5 30.2 31.6 24.2 21.2 90 9
May 39.1 1.54 74 28.3 31.2 32.4 25.2 23.1 70 11
June 26.6 1.03 73 28.9 31.6 32.4 25.9 24.2 80 12
July 108.6 4.28 76 28.9 31.4 32.1 25.6 23.4 60 13
August 161.7 6.35 76 29.2 31.2 32.3 26.2 22.0 70 10
Septembe
r 125.5 4.93 77 29.0 31.2 32.1 25.7 22.6 70 12
October 52.1 2.05 76 29.2 31.9 33.0 25.5 22.8 100 7
November 159.7 6.29 77 27.8 30.4 31.7 24.8 22.4 80 8
December 47.10 1.86 75 27.2 29.8 30.6 25.4 23.7 60 12
MEAN 75.36 2.96 75 28.0 30.6 31.6 24.9 22.5 75 11
TOTAL 904.30 35.56

7. International trade
Agricultural Imports / Exports / Re-exports
 The Statistics Department of the Ministry of Sustainable
Development collects and compiles customs data on
agricultural commodities according to tariff codes
 0 FOOD AND LIVE ANIMALS
00 Live animals chiefly for food
01 Meat and meat preparations
02 Dairy products and eggs
03 Fish and fish preparations
04 Cereal and cereal preparations
05 Fruits and vegetables
06 Sugar, sugar preparations
07 Coffee, tea, cocoa, spices and manufactures
08 Feeding stuff for animals
09 Miscellaneous food preparations
 Individual commodity data also available 7

8. Agricultural Credit
 The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank publishes the
Commercial Banking Sector Classification of Credit by
Economic Activity
 Some credit unions also publish loans to agriculture
and fisheries as part of their portfolio breakdown in
annual reports
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9. Agricultural Credit
Commercial Banking Sector Classification of Credit
(by Economic Activity)
Agriculture 221,311 50 248,591 28
Sugar 218,000 5 247,538 3
Tree Crops 0
Livestock & Dairy 39 8 342 11
Food Crops 182 5 292 8
Forestry 0
Other 3,090 32 419 6
Fisheries 417 15 302 5
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10. Commodity Prices
Market Intel
•The marketing staff at the Department of Agriculture of
the Ministry of Agriculture regularly check produce and
meat prices at all major supermarkets, the Public Market
and street vendors
•The findings are presented in a report called “Market
Intel” that is circulated monthly to stakeholders
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11. Farmer Demographics
 The Department Agriculture alongside the Policy & Planning Unit
of the Ministry of Agriculture started a system of farmer
registration in 2008. In July 2016 a new registration form was
introduced and farmers were required to re-register
 The data collected includes the farmer’s name, date of birth, sex
and address
 Approximately 450 crop and livestock farmers have already
registered
 A separate registry is being done for backyard gardeners which
has approximately 120 farmers
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12. Farm Characteristics
Distinctions
Farm – 1 acre and above
Backyard Garden – less than 1 acre
The farmer registration process captures:
•Location of plots
•Tenure
•Crop mix and acreage
•Livestock mix and numbers
 Agricultural data is collected through agricultural services at the Department of
Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture via:
◦ Tractor services
◦ Plant quarantine services
◦ Animal quarantine services
◦ Extension services
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13. Agriculture Surveys
 The last agriculture survey was executed in 2007 in order
to get some administrative data. About 175 farmers were
randomly surveyed
 In addition to the data currently collected in the farmer
registration, the parameters in the survey included
◦ Farming experience, education
◦ Farm infrastructure, farm access, mechanisation, erodability,
sources of income
◦ Access to credit
◦ Perceived constraints to production
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14. Agricultural Census
Plans for next Agricultural Census
- Last Agricultural Census were conducted in 1950, 1987 & 2000
- Plans have not yet been made
- We hope to start our planning process after this Roundtable meeting as
there will be a better understanding of the correct methodologies
- The Policy & Planning Unit within the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine
Resources et al is responsible for the assimilation and dissemination of
agricultural data and so, will be the main lead in the census process
- Plans will be made with the Department of Statistics of the Ministry of
Sustainability Development as they are legally responsible for the
conduct of censuses
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15. Thank you
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