Reminder to complete Annual Agricultural and Horticultural Census

With just two weeks remaining until the deadline (June 30) for completion of this year's Agricultural and Horticultural Census expires, farm businesses are being reminded to fill in the forms as soon as possible.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the census will be completely online for the first time in its 173 year history. The impact of the pandemic has caused a rethink of how to gather information about the farming sector.

Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Edwin Poots MLA said: “The response to this year’s census has been good so far and my thanks go to all those who have taken the time to complete it. It is our hope that many more responses will be received before the deadline.

“The completion of the census is important for many reasons. Firstly, Covid-19 has caused us to re-examine how we do things in regard to the farming industry.

“DAERA fully recognises that farmers are already under considerable pressure because of the Coronavirus emergency. One main reason for moving the census online is to make the completion of the census more simple and convenient.

“This survey is also one of the oldest of its type anywhere in the world. It is an extremely important method to gauge the patterns within both the agriculture and horticulture sectors. This includes correlating how many people work in the industry, the location of farms across the country and making comparisons across the dairy, beef, pork, poultry and cereal sectors.

“Moreover, my Department uses all of the gathered information to help form policy decisions on supporting our farming industry in Northern Ireland. This is another vital reason why people need to complete the census as it helps us understand how and where to direct resources and finances.”

For example Last year’s survey highlighted some interesting facts:

• There are 24,827 farm businesses in Northern Ireland.
• For every person in Northern Ireland there are 14 chickens, one cow, one sheep and a third of a pig.
• There are 48,423 farm workers in Northern Ireland (including farmers and their spouses).
• Most farms involved in livestock production with 93% assigned to a livestock type.
• 10% were classified as dairy farms and 79% as cattle and sheep farms.
• Grass accounted for almost 80% of all area farmed.

Minister Edwin Poots added: “Last year, only 18% of forms were filled in online. Obviously with the survey going completely online this year, I am encouraging everyone to take the 15 minute survey before the 30 June deadline, and ensure we can capture what’s happening across Northern Ireland.”

As ever, all the information collected during the census will be treated in a completely confidential manner. As an additional security feature within the online format of the survey, each of Northern Ireland’s farm businesses should have already received a unique five-digit code to safeguard identity when logging into the service. However, if you have not received the unique code please email  DAERAsurveys@daera-ni.gov.uk or call 0300 200 7840 and ask for your local DAERA Direct Office. They will pass your details to us and a member of the Farm Census team will contact you as soon as they can.

To access the form go to the DAERA website ,use your unique five-digit code and complete details as requested. Not only will this provide a faster service for all concerned but in this time of crisis help maintain public health.v

Notes to editors: 

1. The questions contained in this census will be very similar to previous years (crop areas, livestock, labour) but on this occasion data on cattle will be collated directly from APHIS, so these details don’t need to be completed.

2. Farmers also make use of the census results to inform themselves about changes in the structure of the agricultural industry. Food processors and suppliers of goods and services to the agricultural industry also make use of the statistics in forming their decisions on capital investment for their businesses.

3. There are several benefits to completing the census form online. Errors are automatically detected and the digital format will also automatically calculate totals. This method means there’s no need to post your form, as once it’s completed it is immediately submitted. All of this means that the results of the census can be processed much faster.

4. Census data helps assess the impact of farming on the environment. Livestock numbers and land data is used to estimate greenhouse gas emissions for the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory which monitors changes in emission levels over time.

5. Relatively few farms depend predominantly on cropping with 5% classified as cereal, general cropping or horticultural types.

6. Further results from the 2019 results:

• There are 1,023,000 hectares farmed in Northern Ireland.
• There are two million sheep in Northern Ireland.
• There are 1.61 million cattle in Northern Ireland (both beef and dairy).
• There are 674,428 pigs in Northern Ireland.

7. For media enquiries please contact DAERA Press Office via email: pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk 

8. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

9. Follow DAERA on Twitter and Facebook.

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