National
Agriculture Sample Survey
Timor Leste Experiences
Roundtable Meeting on Programme for the
2010 Round of Censuses of Agriculture Apia, Samoa 9-13 March 2009.
By Octavio da Costa Monteiro de ALMEIDA
Timor Leste
Introduction
A. Actual Agriculture situation
- Timor-Leste is predominantly an agrarian
country, with 1,047,632 people in an area of
15,000 sq km.
- More then 80 percent of the population live in
rural areas and 85 percent of them are smallscale farmers.
- Agriculture sector holds the key to the overall
development of the country by providing food
security and income in rural areas.
Introduction
• country has no formal agricultural Census
after restoration of independence in 2002, .
• Lack of data to support government police
and planning.
• In 2004 Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
encouraged the data collection through
sample surveys in 13 district.
Data collection experience
• National Agriculture Sample Survey (NASS) in
2007 and 2008
- In 2004 MAF with FAO Technical Cooperation
Project, initiated the strengthening of the
capacity of the Ministry to plan, conduct, and
analyze agricultural statistics surveys.
- It was the objective of the FAO Technical
Cooperation
Project,
TCP/TIM/3001,
“Development of an Agricultural Statistics
System” and included the collection of multiple
purpose data about the food and agriculture
sector.
- Originally to take place in all districts of Timor
Leste in 2006, but the NASS was delayed when
fragile condition in the country limited the
possibilities to collect data in all districts. The
coverage of the survey was reduced to five
Districts.
- In 2007 the first phase of the survey was
undertaken in 5 districts.
- The second phase of the survey was carried out
in 2008 in the 8 remaining districts.
Objectives of the 2007 and 2008 NASS
• To provide baseline information that will serve
as inputs to the strategic plans and programs
of the government in agriculture; and
• To provide agriculture data to the private
entities, investors as well as to the farmers for
the development and improvement of this
sector.
Specifically, this survey aims:
• To determine the structure and characteristics of the
crop holding/farm, livestock and forestry-related
activities;
• To determine the number and distribution of
household engaged in crop farming and/or livestock
raising and/or forestry-related activities at the district
level;
• To provide data on the farm area, quantity of the crops
harvested and livestock kept and tended, which are
indicators for food security and early warning activities;
and
• To provide information on how the farm households
cope up with food shortage.
Survay Design
• The surveys was to collect sample data from five and
eight districts, respectively.
• A questionnaire was developed and tested prior to the
survey.
• Training materials for supervisor and enumerator
manuals were prepared.
• Villages were selected randomly for enumeration.
A listing form was designated for identification of
agricultural household in the selected villages. A brief
training manual was written and training was carried
out with enumerators.
• Conducted listing activities
• On the basis of the results, a ten percent sample of all
agricultural households was selected.
• Collection of survey questionnaires was
initiated in mid August and completed at the
end of September (2007 NASS) and at the end
of October (2008 NASS).
• Two separate data entry systems (both in
ACCESS) were developed and tested.
• Coding and editing data entry started in
September for the 2007 NASS and in early
November for the 2008 NASS.
Methodology
• 2004 Censuses of population and housing were used as a
basis for the selection of a twenty-five percent sample of
the villages based on the number of households in the
village.
• All households in the selected villages were enumerated
with the questionnaire during the listing phase.
• The list of all agricultural households in the selected villages
of the districts became the sampling frame for the district.
• A ten percent of sample selected, a random number
between one and ten was used to select sampled
household and then every tenth household afterward
became a sample household (e.g., if the random number
was 4, then household 4, 14, 24, 34, etc became part of the
sample). Each sample household was interviewed with the
full questionnaire by trained enumerators.
Information collected in NASS
1. Characteristics of farm household members
Relation to head, age, sex, highest education, main activity and
participation in agricultural tasks.
2. Characteristics of the farm parcels
Area and location distance of the parcel to the residence of the
farm operator, slope category, main use, tenure and type of
irrigation.
3. Annual crops on land used by the households
Name of crops planted, estimated total area harvested, total
production and estimated production remaining to be harvested.
4. Perennial crops on land used by households
Name and area of the perennial crops, approximate number of
trees/shrubs/plants per hectare, percentage of productive trees,
total production and estimated production remaining to be
harvested.
Continuation
5. Livestock
Number of livestock owned and kept/tended by the
household and/or number owned but kept/tended by
other relative(s)/household(s); and number of livestock
born alive during the past 12 months.
6. Farm technology and practices
Technology used, use of inputs, name of crops in which the
input was applied, name of varieties of seeds/seedlings,
hired workers, engaging in team work, hiring for payment
services of cattle or buffalo for peddling, and using services
of livestock workers to treat livestock with diseases or other
problems.
7. Farm implements and equipment used
Type and number of implements owned, type and number
of equipment, whether rented or not and approximate cost
of renting the equipment
Continuation
8. Other activities
Type of forest products gathered/harvested, purposes of
gathering/ harvesting, tools/equipment used in cutting
trees, type of forest trees/ palm/bamboo/rattan planted
and sources of seedlings
9. Sufficiency of staple food crops (Rice, Maize, Cassava and
Sweet Potato)
- Staple food crops that grew in the last cropping season,
quantity of rice and/or maize sold in the last harvest,
- quantity of stocked rice and/or maize from the last
harvest that is expected to be sold before the next harvest,
quantity of rice and/or maize that have been stored up,
- quantity of rice and/or maize bought after the last
harvest,
- rice and/or maize seeds for the next cropping season and
basis for selecting seeds for the next cropping
Issues and Challenges
• The major issues emerging during the survey
included measurement of areas,
• local production units (variety of containers for
production and need for research to determine
appropriate conversion units),
• quality and capacity of enumerators and
supervisors to ensure quality of data collection
further issues were consistency of editing and
coding of questionnaires when returned to
headquarters;
• poor capacity in data design and data Analysis
Thank You