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Transition FacilityMulti-Beneficiary StatisticalCo-operation Programme 2005 Lot 2: Pesticide Indicators

Survey on Pesticide Use on Wheat Crops 2006 in Estonia

Kaia Oras

Triin Jakimov

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Pesticide Usage in Estonia, 1997-2006Kg of active substance per agricultural land hectare

Statistics Estonia has carried out the pesticide use survey for a decade now but the quality of data is still a major problem.

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1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

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Project Time Scale

Project stage Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

Sampling

Questionnaire design Postal survey Telephone interviews Data entry Data analysis

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Sampling method: simple random stratified

Sampling unit is agricultural holding.

Sampling frame is the Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board database of agricultural supports.

Frame is stratified according to area of wheat. Holdings with area greater or equal to 20 ha are surveyed completely. Holdings with wheat area less than 20 ha were divided into 5 strata.

Simple random sample is drawn in each strata with different inclusion probabilities.

Method of permanent random numbers is used for sample selection.

Sample is designed using Neyman optimal allocation method according to variability of the area of wheat.

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Sample characteristics Area group

Total frame

Sample Surveyed by routine crop

production survey

Pilotstudy

0…1 ha 774 75 33 29 1…2 ha 543 66 26 30 2…5 ha 748 227 45 162 5…10 ha 470 238 53 165 10…20 ha 406 347 80 264 20…30 ha 191 191 49 142 30…50 ha 202 202 71 131 50…100 ha 228 228 107 121 > 100 ha 231 231 175 56 Total 3793 1805 639 1100

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Questionnaire design

Focus was set on designing the questionnaires as understandable as possible for the farmers, which should assure the presentation of correct data.

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Sample characteristics Area group Total

frameSample Responses % Impu-

tatedWeight

0…1 ha 774 75 74 98,7 12,6885 1…2 ha 543 66 62 93,9 10,4423 2…5 ha 748 227 207 91,2 4,0000 5…10 ha 470 238 217 91,2 2,3858 10…20 ha 406 347 314 90,5 1,3055 20…30 ha 191 191 176 92,1 1,0852 30…50 ha 202 202 186 92,1 1,0860 50…100 ha 228 228 213 93,4 15 1,0000 > 100 ha 231 231 220 95,2 11 1,0000 Total 3793 1805 1669 92,5

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Reasons for non-response

Non-response:Not co-operative 23Did not grow wheat 43Incorrect contact details 70

Total number of non-response 136

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Imputation of missing data

- “Hot deck” method- Nearest neighbour as a donor

- Nearest neighbour is the one who has the most similar wheat area in respective geographical category (county)

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State of the Art

At present all the needed data – sown areas, treated areas, products used, number of sprayings – are checked for mistakes. The grossing up will start with help of ESO´s Methodological Service in October.

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Benefits of the “Use Survey”

Often than PPI inspectors are talking to farmers, respondents are scared of penalties and make their pesticide use quantities smaller than they really are. In ESO survey the use of several forbidden products was also mentioned.From the viewpoint of pesticide risk and environmental impact, the usage data crop by crop (not total usage only) are essential. Sales data are unsuitable.

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Benefits of the “Use Survey”

ESO has to keep confidential any information gathered, farmers are more honest with ESO interviewers than they are usually with PPI.

Farmers were told that their answers are confidential and that the study needs realistic data, not the numbers derived from PPI´s nomenclature.

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Some lessons learned

• Summer is not the best season for surveying agricultural holdings – busiest time for farmers

• Returning the questionnaires could have been made more convenient e.g. by:

- adding a return envelope- making the form available digitally on

Statistics Estonia website

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Data not available when:

• seeds are already treated by the importer• treatment is carried out by a special

service, not by farmer• fields are rented to someone else

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Open questions: definition of treated area

Four categories listed in “Guidelines for the collection of pesticide usage statistics within agriculture & horticulture” by Miles R. Thomas:

• Basic area treated• Application area treated• Formulation area treated• Active substance area treated

Which of the definitions is applicableand most relevant?

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Reporting format categories

• Total area surveyed• Basic area treated• Average number of treatments• Quantity of active substance applied• Average quantity applied per treated area• Average quantity applied per total cultivated area

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Thank you.