20th Session of the African
Commission on Agricultural
Statistics
Algiers, Algeria, 10 - 13 DECEMBER
2007
Introduction
This report highlighted areas of strengths
and weaknesses in National Statistical
Systems.
 Provide important and useful metadata
 Can be an advocacy tool for national
statistical activities

Introduction-Contd.
Fifty-one countries were assigned the
questionnaire
 Thirty-eight responded timely to the
(76.5%) for 2007
 An increase in response rate as compared
with 2005 survey (60.1%)- Chart 1

Chart 1a: Country response to questionnaires for AFCAS by sub-regional zones
90.0
80.0
70.0
Percent
60.0
East Africa
North Africa
Central Africa
Southern Africa
West Africa
Total Africa
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
2005
2007
Year
Chart 1b: Country response to AFCAS questionnaires in both 2005 and 2007
58.8%
60.0
50.0
40.0
27.5%
Percent 30.0
13.7%
20.0
10.0
0.0
Twice
Once
No. of times
None
Legal Framework
About 94.7% countries had legal
framework for general statistical activities
 About 81.1% countries had legal
framework for agricultural statistical
activities
 Less than 50% of countries had an active
agricultural statistics advisory committee

Chart 2: Legal framework (2007)
100.0
94.7
90.0
81.1
80.0
70.0
60.0
60.0
Percent
Existence of legal framework for
general statistical activities
Existence of legal framework for
agricultural statistical activities
50.0
40.0
40.0
30.0
18.9
20.0
10.0
5.3
0.0
Yes
No
Existence
Existence of an active
agricultural statistics advisory
committee
Structure of the National Statistical
System

44.7% countries mainly practice a
statistical system decentralized by sector
with minimum coordinating authorityChart 3
Chart 3: Structure of the general statistical system in countries-2007
44.7
45.0
40.0
35.0
30.0
26.3
25.0
Percent
18.4
20.0
15.0
10.5
10.0
5.0
0.0
system decentralized by
sector, w ith minimum
coordination
system decentralised by major operating office for
sector w ith coordinating
general
authority
statistics&coorniating
authority
Structure
system w ith only one
department resp. for
statistics
Chart 4: General and Agricultural statistical system at sub-national level
80.0
70.6
69.4
70.0
60.0
50.0
Existence of general statistical system at
the sub-national level
Percent 40.0
29.4
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
Yes
No
Existence
30.6
Presence of agricultural statistical system
at the sub-national level
Table 1: Most important national institution involved in the production of
agricultural census
Frequency
Percent
National Statistical Office
13
31
Agricultural Statistical Office
29
69
Total response
42
100
Strategic Framework
NSDS was in existence in more than 50%
countries in Africa
 But majority of them (52%) were not
operational
 Yet most countries (92%) included a
programme of activities for general
statistics – Chart 5

Chart 5: National strategy for the development of statistics(NSDS)-2007
100.0
92.0
90.0
80.0
74.3
70.0
60.0
Existence of national strategy for the
development of statistics (NSDS)
52.0
Percent 50.0
Is the NSDS operational?
48.0
Does it include a programme of activities
for general statistics
40.0
30.0
25.7
20.0
8.0
10.0
0.0
Yes
No
Response
Chart 6: National Strategy for agricultural statistics (NSAS)-2007
90.0
82.4
80.0
68.8
70.0
Percent
60.0
55.9
Existence of national strategy for
agricultural statistics (NSAS)
50.0
44.1
Is the NSAS operational
40.0
Does it inculde programme of activities
for agricultural statistics
31.3
30.0
17.6
20.0
10.0
0.0
Yes
No
Response
Dialogue with data users

Less than 50% countries had an official
forum for dialogue between agricultural
Statistics producers and users
Chart 7: Existence of an official forum for dialogue between agricultural statistics
producers and users
45%
Yes
No
55%
R
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Chart 8: Dialogue with national data users-2007
80.0
70.0
60.0
50.0
Percent
40.0
Yes, on regular basis
Yes, on ad-hoc basis
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
National data users
Financial Resources

In 2007, according to countries which has
responded to the question related to the annual
budget allocated to agricultural statistical
activities (25 countries), the average of about
USD 629,784 is used by countries for that activity
(the minimum and maximum values recorded
being USD 26,454 and USD 2,714,441). In 2005,
only 16 countries 9not necessarily the same as in
2007) have responded to the same
questionnaires. This fact makes impossible any
comparative analysis of this important
information .
Human Resources
Table 2: Human Resources (2005-2007)
Country
No.of Prof. Staff
in the HQ
2005
2007
No. of Prof. staff
in the
regional/loc
al office
2005
2007
No. of
support
staff in
the HQ
2005
2007
No. of support
staff in the
regional/local
offices
2005
2007
North Africa
6.3
44.0
117.8
114.0
4.8
25.3
37.5
171.0
West Africa
9.8
10.8
22.2
31.8
10.8
6.2
3.2
12.2
Central Africa
13.7
9.8
8.0
21.6
7.3
6.6
13.7
4.8
East Africa
28.6
28.2
150.8
49.3
119.6
36.2
178.0
151.8
4.6
5.5
0.0
12.8
14.0
10.7
83.3
49.9
10.8
14.5
43.3
34.2
26.3
13.8
58.1
56.7
Southern Africa
Total Africa
International cooperation and external
assistance
Very few countries (21%) had long term
experts at post during the past 12 months
 43.2% had technical assistance during the
same period
 11.8% of countries in Africa had
partnership with similar institution abroad

Chart 9: International cooperation and external assistance
88.2
90.0
78.9
80.0
70.0
56.8
60.0
50.0
43.2
Percent
40.0
Are the long term
experts/consultants(>3months) in the past
12 months
Have there been any technical assistance
projects in the past 12 months
Existence of a partnership with a similar
institution abroad
30.0
21.1
20.0
11.8
10.0
0.0
Yes
No
Response
Adoption of international classification
68.2% of countries adopted Harmonized
system of classification (HS)
 53.8% for ISIC

Chart 10: Adoption of international classification
80.0
71.4
70.0
68.2
66.7
61.9
60.0
60.0
53.8
50.0
46.2
Percent 40.0
40.0
38.1
33.3
Yes
No
31.8
28.6
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
ISIC
CPC
SITC
HS
Classification
Regional
Classification
Others
Agricultural Census
81.6% of countries had already conducted
agric. Census
 84.4% of them made results available to
users
 Most countries had external technical
(80.6%) and financial (83.3%) support

Chart 11: Agricultural census
90.0
84.4
83.3
81.6
82.8
80.6
80.0
70.0
62.5
60.0
50.0
Percent
40.0
37.5
Yes
No
30.0
20.0
18.4
15.6
16.7
19.4
17.2
10.0
0.0
Is agricultural Are the results Was there an
Was there an Do you reconcile
census already
available to external financial
external
between
conducted in the
users
support
techinical
conflicting
country
support
census data and
current statistics
Responses
Plans for
conducting
agricultural
census in the
next 3 years
Chart 12: Main agricultural surveys
100.0
91.9
90.0
80.0
73.3
70.0
64.7 63.9
60.0
54.3
Percent 50.0
45.7
40.0
35.3 36.1
30.0
26.7
20.0
8.1
10.0
0.0
Yes
No
Surveys
Has crop production survey already been
conducted
Has livestock production survey already
been conducted
Has producers prices survey already been
conducted
Has cost of production survey already
been conducted
Is market information system operational
Chart 13: Population census and HHBS
100.0
94.7
92.1
90.0
82.4
80.0
70.0
63.6
58.3
60.0
Percent 50.0
41.7
40.0
Yes
No
36.4
30.0
17.6
20.0
10.0
7.9
5.3
0.0
Has population
Are the population Are questions on
For the next 3
Has HHBS already
census already
census results agriculture included years, are there been conducted in
been conducted in available to users in the population plans of conducting
the country
the country
census
a population census
questionnaire
Response
Chart 14: Compilation of other statistics and indicators
90.0
80.6
80.0
80.0
76.7
75.9
70.0
64.7
60.0
56.7
53.3
50.0
46.7
Percent
43.3
40.0
35.3
30.0
24.1
23.3
20.0
19.4
20.0
10.0
0.0
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Yes
No
Information Technology

About 60% of countries have web sites
and databases in existence respectively
Chart 16: Information Technology
70.0
66.7
62.9
60.0
50.0
37.1
40.0
33.3
Percent
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
Yes
No
Response
Is there an existence of a website?
Existence of a database
Conclusion






On the whole the response rate was high considering the
time constraints.
However, some portions of the questionnaire were not
completed.
Limited analysis for some information (budget and human
resources as well as number of computers).
Information given by few countries don’t give a true picture
of what is happening on the ground.
With regards to the legal framework, it looks like African
Governments come to realize institutionally the importance
of statistics.
Good results from this survey can be used as advocacy for
agricultural statistics activities.
Recommendations
Countries to provide their comments for
the improvement of the questionnaire.
 Countries to review and complete their
respective questionnaires.
 RAF to do more analysis and publish
results through a pamphlet?

Thank you for your kind attention