Report of the Expert consultation on livestock statistics

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Bangkok, Thailand, 8 – 11 July 2003

RAP publication 2003/12

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Senior Statistician FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Maliwan Mansion, 39 Phra Atit Road Bangkok, 10200 Thailand

Printed in October 2003

Report of the Expert consultation on livestock statistics

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Bangkok, Thailand, 8 – 11 July 2003

CONTENTS

Opening session 1 Election of officers 2 Adoption of the agenda and timetable 2 Presentation of the background for the expert consultation and of its objectives 2 Livestock sector data in policy 3 Estimation and forecasting of livestock sector parameters 6 Analysis and dissemination of livestock sector data 10 Recommendations 12 Adoption of the report and closing of the expert consultation 14

Annex 1 – Agenda 15 Annex 2 – List of documents 16 Annex 3 – List of participants 17 Annex 4 – Opening address by He Changchui, Assistant Director- General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific 20

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Opening session (Item 1 of the Agenda) 1. The Expert Consultation on Livestock Statistics was held at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok, Thailand, on 8 to 11 July 2003. It was attended by ten experts in specialised areas of livestock statistics, an officer of Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) of the United Nations, and officers of the Food and Agriculture Organization, Bangkok and Rome. (The list of participants is found in Annex 1). 2. The Expert Consultation was convened following the recommendation made at the Nineteenth Session of the Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics (APCAS) held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in October 2002, that FAO should provide updated guidelines for the collection, analysis and dissemination of agricultural sector data and that countries should collect information about livestock in agricultural censuses. 3. HE Changchui, Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) welcomed the experts to the Regional Office on behalf of the FAO Director-General, Jacques DIOUF, and expressed his appreciation for their participation in the Expert Consultation. He pointed out the importance of reliable and timely data in decision-making and of the impact of information about the livestock sector on other sectors. He mentioned that with the phenomenal growth in the livestock sectors of countries of the Asia-Pacific region, there has been a similar growth in the consumption of livestock products. He indicated that heads of States and Governments had agreed, at the World Food Summit and at the UN Millennium Summit, to take actions leading to improvement in food security and alleviation of poverty. Although significant improvement has been made, he stressed that it was important to reduce hunger further by prioritizing food security. 4. He noted that Asian countries should generate reliable and timely information that was vital to better decision-making to ensure the sustainability of the livestock sector and that it was the responsibility of statisticians to provide that information. 5. He encouraged the experts to make recommendations about how countries could obtain the best possible information about the livestock sector, as a basis for enhanced quality of the analytical work. The inaugural address is found in Annex 4. 6. In his opening address, Hiek SOM, Chief, Statistical Development Service, FAO, mentioned that the FAO Statistics Division recognized the weaknesses of livestock statistics, both in terms of the quality of data and the methodologies available. Compared to crop statistics, data on livestock in FAOSTAT were much less complete. He said that FAO had issued guidelines on the subject, but additional methodological work was required, especially to deal with the traditional

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practices in the livestock sub-sector. More attention should be given by countries to improving the quality of their livestock data, on a gradual basis, to allow proper planning for the sector to play an adequate role in food security. 7. He mentioned that new and better methods and techniques for livestock statistics were necessary. He said that improving and intensifying the use of data were contributing factors in this respect. Advocacy in support of better livestock statistics was also needed. 8. Mr Som noted the diverse background of the Experts attending the meeting as well as the fact that they came from different regions of the world. There were statisticians, livestock specialists, academics and researchers, as well as policy analysts. Their experiences would be very useful in formulating recommendations for the attention of FAO and of its member countries. He indicated that three areas required the special attention of the Experts, i.e. a) strategies for improving national systems of livestock statistics, b) advocacy tools to gather support for statistical activities on livestock and livestock products; and c) methodologies and techniques to improve the quality of livestock statistics.

9. He was confident that the participants would discuss the issues in a friendly manner, in their individual capacity as experts. Their recommendations would constitute useful contributions to the development of additional guidelines on livestock statistics. Election of officers and adoption of the agenda and timetable (Item 2 of the Agenda) 10. The experts elected Slamet MUKENO as Chairperson, Roderick FORBES as Vice-Chairperson and David STEANE as Rapporteur. 11. The provisional agenda and provisional timetable were presented. The Expert Consultation decided to assign different numbers (3.1 and 3.2, respectively) to the two documents under STAT/LVSTK/3. With this revision the Agenda was adopted (Annex 2). A list of documents is found in Annex 3. Presentation of the background for the expert consultation and of its objectives (Item 3 of the Agenda) 12. Frederick Baker, Senior Statistician (RAP), in STAT/LVSTK/3.1, presented the Background and objectives of the expert consultation and the reasons for holding it. He explained that the objective of this expert consultation was to provide a forum for experts to

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• contribute to the improvement of livestock statistics in the Asia and Pacific region for improved planning and monitoring of the livestock sector;

• review and discuss FAO’s recommendations and national methods and practices for producing and disseminating statistical data on livestock;

• discuss methodologies for collecting data on livestock numbers and parameters with particular concern for nomadic and semi-nomadic livestock;

• discuss methodologies for estimating livestock products. 13. Mr Baker also indicated that the documents and recommendations of the Expert Consultation would be used in the preparation of a series of publications documenting country practices. 14. In STAT/LVSTK/3.2, Review of FAO activities in livestock statistics, Mr Som presented an outline of the various activities undertaken by FAO with respect to the collection and use of livestock sector data. He cautioned that reliable and timely livestock statistics were difficult to obtain because of their complexity. Such problems as limited resources, incomplete coverage, the frequent movement of livestock and the fear of reporting information to the government, combined with the lack of a suitable survey methodology, had contributed to this condition. 15. He reminded the Expert Consultation that FAO’s past activities included the establishment of standardised concepts, definitions, coverage and classification procedures; provision of technical assistance to countries for the enumeration of livestock numbers both as part of an agricultural census and separately; convening of workshops and study groups of experts to review associated problems and propose solutions; promotion of data collection activities on livestock numbers through application of methods and procedures discussed in publications for agricultural census and livestock sector statistics. Livestock sector data in policy (Item 4 of the Agenda) 16. The Expert Consultation learned from David STEANE in STAT/LVSTK/4, Use of livestock sector data in policy, that policy did not need to be based on data but could simply reflect ideological views. Many policies for livestock have been based on partial information and have had serious long-term consequences. He pointed out that in Asia, for example, many breeding programmes were not sustainable and required large investments to correct this problem. The predictions of demand for livestock and livestock products were such that they required a livestock revolution if demand was to be met. This increased demand could have serious consequences in a region which already had the largest number of livestock and which had the greatest predicted increase in demand. The potential hazards in terms of pollution, health risks, land degradation and water use for livestock could create serious dangers unless countries achieved more sustainable systems of livestock production.

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17. He stated that the dualistic development of high technology, high capital, intensive holdings as well as extensive, resource-based labour-intensive small holdings could create serious difficulties, but mentioned that there were ways in which the two types of development could collaborate for mutual benefit. He noted that this situation created considerable pressure to improve the database to enable planners and policy makers to increase the likelihood of achieving sustainable programmes for livestock production. 18. He observed that FAO statistics, at present, failed to provide adequate data because such information was not provided by the countries. He pointed out that there was an urgent need to provide more information on various aspects including production systems, mature sizes and types of animal, details on reproductive rates, farm sizes, cropping and market accessibility in a form which allowed the different proportions of each to be quantified. It was important that policy makers be made more aware of the potential and of the various programs available for assistance. He suggested that FAO needed to become more pro-active in providing such awareness and in encouraging countries to provide the basic data. Without better data, the likelihood of achieving sustainability was low and could result in serious repercussions for the livestock industry. Such repercussions could mean not only a reduced increase in demand, but that the opportunity for alleviation of poverty and increased food security could be lost. 19. Ayush DEMBEREL described the main uses of livestock sector data in National Accounts in Mongolia in STAT/LVSTK/5, Use of livestock sector data in national accounts. He explained that the primary data sources for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) were the estimates of annual value added of different economic activities including livestock.

20. He noted that a revision had been made in the GDP compilation methodology concerning the extraordinary losses of animals that occurred in 2000-2002 due to a disaster resulting from the cumulative result of a summer drought followed by an extremely harsh and cold winter (called DZUD). He mentioned that the National Statistical Office and the Ministry of Finance and Economy adopted a Joint Resolution in November 2002 approving the new methodology in which distinctions were made between types of animals and between types of losses. 21. He explained that now animals were classified into two categories: a) “work-in-progress” and b) “fixed assets”; and that losses were classified, using the historical data of the last 40 years, as recommended in the EUROSTAT Manual on the Economic Accounts for Agriculture and Forestry (1997 Rev, 1.1), into three categories: a) normal losses, b) accidental losses, and/ or c) catastrophic/ exceptional losses.

22. Losses within one standard deviation from the arithmetic mean were considered as “recurrent or normal losses”, those between one and two standard deviations were considered as “unexpected incidental losses”, and those in excess

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of two standard deviations were considered as “exceptional or catastrophic losses”. Based on the above criteria, a threshold for each species of animal (camels, horses, cattle, sheep, and goats) had been established to separate exceptional losses from normal and accidental losses. 23. Furthermore, he indicated that, in accordance with recommendations from the "SNA 93", FAO handbook (1996) System of Economic Accounts for Food and Agriculture United Nations and EUROSTAT Manual on the Economic Accounts for Agriculture and Forestry (1997 Rev, 1.1), the new methodology introduced certain exclusions of such exceptional losses in the national accounts. For animals classified as “fixed assets,” exceptional losses, which were losses in excess of two standard deviations above the historical mean (a fixed threshold), were recorded in a different way to "normal" losses. In contrast to the normal losses (which were deducted from output), the value of such exceptional losses (up to the time of the loss) were not deducted in the calculation of output (as if the loss had not occurred). Production account, generation of income account, allocation of primary income account, gross capital formation and goods and services accounts were compiled with these definitions. 24. He made a number of suggestions for improvement of the sample survey of agriculture, of economic accounts and of estimates in Mongolia, including

- expanding the livestock census to an agriculture census; - conducting a survey of agricultural households, companies and

cooperatives every three to five years on a regular basis; - developing and testing the methodology for the compilation of value

added in agriculture at constant prices using the double deflation method; and

- conducting a special survey of yield rates and producer prices of bi-products slaughtered in households, agricultural companies and cooperatives and slaughter houses on a regular basis.

25. In STAT/LVSTK/6, Use of livestock sector data in food security and nutrition, Biplab NANDI, Senior Food and Nutrition Officer, RAP, presented some issues related to food security and nutrition in the context of livestock statistics as an important source of information for addressing problems of nutrition, including micronutrients. 26. He pointed out the need for human dietary diversification to address micronutrient (minerals and vitamins needed for proper growth, development and function) malnutrition. He emphasized that livestock were a good source of both macro and micronutrients and helped to improve the nutritional quality of the diet. He reminded the Expert Consultation that the daily per capita energy availability from animal foods/products varied widely in the region and that Southeast Asia had a more diverse diet compared to South Asia.

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27. The Expert Consultation was informed that the nutrition sector made use of livestock statistics data and that household level data were more important than country data for addressing household food and nutrition security. 28. He mentioned that FAO has promoted nutrition programmes at the country level which recommend home gardens with small livestock such as chickens, ducks, pigs, rabbits, and it was important to have disaggregated data in order to get reliable consumption data. 29. The Experts summarised the surveys and associated methodologies used in selected countries (India, Indonesia, Mongolia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Republic of Korea and Thailand) in order to provide a basis for identification of improved strategies and methodologies. These case studies are found in STAT/LVSTK/7, Existing methodologies for collection of livestock statistics. 30. Mamadou DIEDHIOU reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of some methodologies used in the collection of livestock sector data in STAT/LVSTK/8, Review of strengths/weaknesses in the methodologies. He described livestock data collection methods such as agricultural census, livestock census, periodic surveys, ad-hoc surveys, household consumption surveys. Two main methods for the enumeration of livestock - ground counts and aerial counts - were presented. He believed that aerial counts had not been used in the Asian region but could be a useful tool to consider in future livestock surveys. Commonly used sampling techniques were reviewed along with their advantages and disadvantages. 31. He pointed out the need for better coordination of institutions involved in livestock statistics within each country. It was suggested that relational databases of livestock data be put in place to permit integration of data from these various institutions. 32. In the discussions following the presentation, the Expert Consultation agreed that the use of aerial surveys for areas where accessibility could be a problem was useful, but pointed out that the logistics required (airport, trained team, etc.) for an aerial survey could be a limiting factor. Estimation and forecasting of livestock sector parameters (Item 5 of the Agenda) 33. In STAT/LVSTK/9, Forecasting of livestock numbers, Roderick FORBES informed the Expert Consultation that there had been discontinuities between 1996 and 2002 for livestock statistics in New Zealand and that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) in New Zealand undertook forecasting of prices, production and trade because of agriculture and forestry’s importance to the economy. He pointed out that production and processing of livestock and livestock products

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accounted for 47 percent of exports and 14 percent of GDP and that the forecast of livestock numbers underpinned agricultural production and trade. 34. He stressed that female breeding livestock numbers were crucial to forecasting production and indicated that MAF used econometric models to forecast livestock numbers. He illustrated the methodology with reference to three equations – sheep breeding flock, dairy milking herd, and beef breeding herd. He cautioned that judgment was required when making adjustments both during the running of the model and on the model outputs. Based on his experiences that survey data between 1996 and 2002, he confirmed that there was a critical need for annual surveys to validate forecasting models and their results. 35. In response to queries he pointed out that livestock forecasts were the basis for forecasting production and export quantities and that MAF made the forecasts available to the wider public on the internet, www.maf.govt.nz. 36. Mr Forbes agreed to prepare an analysis of how well MAF had forecast livestock numbers in the past, as there was interest expressed by other experts at the meeting. He informed the Expert Consultation that livestock diseases could be incorporated into the forecasting model through the use of dummy variables, but had not been included previously because losses to animal disease were very low in New Zealand. 37. The Expert Consultation agreed that forecasting should be included in the programme of a country’s livestock statistics. 38. In STAT/LVSTK/10, Treatment of data for nomadic and semi-nomadic livestock, Jean-Francois MICHEL pointed out that livestock mobility can be monitored. For cattle or small ruminants husbandry systems in the developing countries, all the intermediate degrees of mobility existed between sedentary and nomadic husbandry systems. Availability of feed and water and the onset of diseases were the main cause of movement that created problems for collection and processing of data, especially mapping. 39. He presented census methods and data processing solutions that were used in selected censuses conducted in countries in Africa with different levels of livestock mobility. He informed the Expert Consultation that in Burkina Faso a cattle census was conducted at the local level as part of an animal trypanosomiasis research project to identify the contact zones at the river system scale in a Geographic Information System (GIS) framework. For that project, it was necessary to map livestock distribution taking into account daily movements. He mentioned that a spatial model had been developed using GIS to link households to water points frequented by cattle at the end of the dry season. This simple model provided a better representation of the survey units than a simple cartography

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40. Mr Michel reported that a national census of transhumant and nomadic livestock was conducted in Mali, based on concentration areas frequented by cattle at the end of the dry season. The general census method consisted of making an exhaustive ground enumeration of the animals in these areas. The annual movements of herds were defined by their location in the rainy season and the dry season. These locations were recorded in a short questionnaire. A GIS framework was built to produce static maps of transhumant and nomadic livestock distribution in the dry season, maps of the concentration areas, and dynamic maps of the annual movements of livestock. 41. He explained that national agricultural censuses with the introduction of sampling techniques were ongoing in Niger and Mauritania. In these countries, cross-border movements of livestock were very important, but it was not recommended to conduct separate nomadic and sedentary livestock censuses. Given the size of these countries and the available funds, it was decided to adopt a sampling strategy by selecting villages in Mauritania and census districts in Niger. For these spatial samplings, surveys were to be conducted when herds were the most homogeneously distributed in the territory. The end of the rainy season is the optimal survey period. The GIS of each country was currently under development. 42. He said that the census methods used for livestock depended on available resources and specific characteristics of farming systems. However, he noted that despite differences, it was possible to pinpoint common principles for livestock censuses: (i) Survey units should be well defined (e.g. the herd for livestock censuses) ; (ii) sampling units should be easy to identify in the field ; (iii) proper information about cattle breeders was crucial, and (iv) the questionnaire should be limited to the most relevant items. He suggested that the development of the census methodology required a good knowledge of local breeding systems, a good understanding of sampling techniques, expertise in GIS, and the acquisition of basic geographic layers of the census area. 43. He stated that the integration of data on livestock in a GIS constituted a new decision tool for livestock policy and that livestock data layers were essential, but often required surveys which were complex and expensive. He believed that the identification of indicators for livestock distribution and movements would significantly reduce field effort. 44. Slamet MUKENO introduced, in STAT/LVSTK/11, the discussion about Assessment of slaughter statistics from non-official slaughterhouses. He mentioned that, for most of the population in Indonesia, religious obligations required individuals to make sacrifices to help the poor and that many animals were not slaughtered in official slaughterhouses. In many cases, these slaughterings were carried out either within the household or within the religious compound and were not reported formally.

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45. He illustrated the efforts of Statistics Indonesia (BPS) to estimate the amount of non-reporting through a special study in Jakarta where households in selected census blocks were asked about animals slaughtered in a year by the household. He said that approximately 17 percent of the respondents had slaughtered animals, but that well over 50 percent of these slaughterings were not reported. He cautioned that the number of census blocks was minimal and that the results required further confirmation. 46. Joo-Hwan KIM, in STAT/LVSTK/12, Sampling considerations for livestock sector surveys in Korea, presented a paper about the new sampling design and the methodologies adopted for the “Livestock Statistics Survey”. He reported that in October 2002, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in the Republic of Korea changed the sampling methods for the Livestock Statistics Survey by using the results of the “2000 Agriculture Census”. 47. He further reported that there were large changes in the livestock population between the 1995 and 2000 national agricultural censuses. He explained the survey objectives and the basis for the new sampling design, including the criteria for stratification, sample size and the estimation procedures. The sample design was a stratified sample with complete enumeration of the largest farms and without rotation of the selected sample farms. The paper included recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the survey design, including the enumeration of the large farm stratum before the other strata. 48. In STAT/LVSTK/13, Strategies for collection of data on livestock, Mr Diedhiou encouraged the use of GIS tools to geo-reference livestock data. He described sampling methods not commonly used (capture-recapture, adaptive sampling, distance sampling and double sampling) and suggested that their use for livestock surveys be explored. The use of satellite imagery was also proposed. 49. He pointed out that it was important for countries to consider appropriate means for dissemination of information about the livestock sector and listed several alternatives, such as the use of internet, television, radios, CD-ROMs and hard-copy publications. 50. The experts recognized the need to have a coordinating body in countries where more than one institution was involved in livestock statistics and the potential for the use of spatial sampling techniques. 51. The paper, Estimation of livestock products, STAT/LVSTK/14 was presented by Ashok KUMAR. He reported that in India data on livestock were collected by various agencies through censuses, surveys and reports/returns. He mentioned that the Livestock Census was conducted every five years. At present it was the responsibility of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD).

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52. He described the integrated sample survey scheme, developed by the Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, which was used for estimation of production of milk, eggs, wool and meat. He noted that the survey was conducted throughout the year in three seasons, each of four months called ‘rounds’. He explained that, in each season, 5 percent of the villages in the district were selected for complete enumeration. A specified number of houses were selected randomly in each selected village for the estimation of milk, eggs, wool and meat. For each household, animals were selected for calculation of the yield per animal. Complete details of the sample design and steps in the calculation to estimate all-India statistics were given in the paper. He mentioned that special studies were planned to fill data gaps. 53. Nenita YANSON presented the paper Supply-utilization accounting for meat and animals, STAT/LVSTK/15. She illustrated the value of supply-utilization accounting (SUA) for Meat and Animals. She pointed out that the livestock subsector contributes about 30 percent of the agriculture GDP and that broilers and layers agribusiness have become the catalysts of growth for the agriculture sector. She said that with the emergence of global markets, the demand for adequate, relevant and quality statistics and information was rising. 54. She indicated that SUA analysis was a tool to ensure quality and acceptability of data. She explained that in the Philippine Agriculture Statistical System, the SUA framework of analysis for animals and meat had already been set up at all geographic levels of the data review process and that this kind of analysis had been very helpful in assessing the country’s livestock numbers and their uses (in particular the meat available for consumption and the per capita level of meat). Moreover, it had enhanced usability of livestock data produced by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), especially by the livestock sector planners and agribusiness. 55. During discussion of the paper she confirmed that SUA output had been used in the estimation of GNP/GDP and had enhanced the image of BAS as well as establishing the trust and confidence of agribusiness. Analysis and dissemination of livestock sector data (Item 6 of the Agenda) 56. The paper Data analysis for livestock sector policy formulation, STAT/LVSTK/16, presented by Pius CHILONDA, focused on data analysis for livestock sector policy formulation in order to provide a linkage between data collection and potential use. He discussed possible objectives and a framework of livestock sector analysis, as well as data considerations and sources. The final part of the paper provided examples of common analyses of livestock data and limitations of commonly reported statistics about livestock. He listed the main data domains required for policy formulation and evaluation as socio-economic,

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biophysical resources, markets and trade, livestock population, production, animal and public health, environment and infrastructure. Temporal, spatial and functional aspects of livestock related information were important considerations. In order to enhance the scope of data analysis, it was recommended that data shall be reported at lower administrative levels (province/district) and by livestock systems which provide a functional overview of the livestock sector. 57. Limitations in most datasets on the livestock sector related to inconsistencies in the data reported, with most livestock specific variables, such as livestock systems, consumption of livestock products, although critical in the analysis of the livestock sector, lacking. It was recommended that, given the high cost of data collection, greater attention should be paid to quality of the data and the intended use of the data. In order to facilitate international comparisons of livestock data, it was necessary that there was standardization in reporting of livestock data. Finally in order to improve statistical databases on livestock, the usefulness of statistical yearbooks and other livestock statistical publication and to increase the scope for livestock sector analysis, the following indicators should be collected and/or reported:

• GDP from livestock, employment, land use, trade (both in live animals and livestock products);

• number of households keeping livestock, size of livestock holdings, draught power and manure utilisation, household income from livestock;

• livestock numbers (live and slaughtered) by species, breed, sex-age composition and growth rate of livestock populations by production systems and province/district;

• productivity parameters of livestock in each system – carcass weights, milk yields, egg yields, fertility rates, mortality rates, ages at maturity, slaughter-ages, longevity;

• current and future demand for livestock products; • availability of feed resources – pasture, arable fodder, other roughages and

concentrates; • production chains, livestock prices for livestock and products, share of

informal slaughtering and subsistence; and • Infrastructure – abattoirs (export accredited abattoirs and their capacity),

milk processing plants capacity, feed mills, veterinary infrastructure, market facilities, water supplies.

58. Chalit AMNUAY presented a paper, Analysis and dissemination of livestock sector data, STAT/LVSTK/17. He indicated that the livestock survey was currently implemented through systematic random sampling or linear sampling, but suggested that the quality of the estimates could be improved by applying a multiple frame. 59. He said that various livestock associations had indicated the possibility of participating in the collection and dissemination of livestock information.

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60. Mr Amnuay considered that it was important to use appropriate media for dissemination of livestock sector information, and proposed that the Internet was an important method. He recommended that Agricultural Technology Transfer Centres be set up at local levels to facilitate the dissemination of information to the small farmers. 61. Mr Diedhiou facilitated the discussion on a) strategies for improving national systems of livestock statistics, b) advocacy tools to gather support for statistical activities on livestock and livestock products; and c) methodologies and techniques to improve the quality of livestock statistics. Recommendations 62. The Expert Consultation recommended that countries coordinate the various institutions involved in livestock sector data collection, possibly by the formation of a National Committee involving all organizations involved in the acquisition and use of such data. The National Committee should identify the agency(ies) responsible for the collection, warehousing, analysis, reporting and dissemination of data for different purposes. 63. The Expert Consultation recommended that the procedures for complete livestock census and partial census and/or intercensal samples/ surveys for other purposes should be clearly defined and identified in all reporting. The Expert Consultation additionally recommended that the maximum intervals for taking a livestock census should be defined within FAO procedures (five years is recommended). In addition, the agricultural census should include livestock census questions in all cases. Recognizing the frequency of changes in the sector, the Expert Consultation recommended the collection of livestock sector data annually. 64. The Expert Consultation strongly recommended that more detailed information, including metadata, which enable the data to be used more effectively - especially for planning and policy purposes - should be obtained and presented in disaggregated form. Recognizing the present and predicted pressures on demand for livestock and livestock products, such additional information should be available as a matter of urgency. Examples are: detail of production systems, farm size, breed (or relative size on a defined scale), local/exotic (defined) including bos taurus/bos indicus differentiation, reproductive rates, administrative regions, market/trade access, socio-geographic and economic structures etc.

65. Noting that data on slaughtering are the subject of serious concern since there is evidence of potential errors in data resulting from illegal and unreported slaughtering, and also because of traditional methods in some countries involving household slaughtering, the Expert Consultation recommended that more effort should be made to invoke procedures which enable sound estimates/records of such practices. It agreed that similar difficulties occur with milk production and with

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eggs and poultry meat from native chickens owned by small or landless farmers. Such procedures may well involve special surveys involving local markets, household consumption etc. 66. The Expert Consultation decided that publication of survey or census results should be subject to time limitations (agreed by the National Committee) and recommended no more than one year for preliminary results and two years for final results.

67. The Expert Consultation strongly recommended that the results should be more widely disseminated and suggested that appropriate channels be used to ensure that these results were available to those providing data (or to their agreed representative organisations on the National Committee). 68. The Expert Consultation decided that every effort should be made to ensure that nomadic and semi-nomadic livestock enumeration should be carried out at similar times and with similar methods during the national livestock census.

69. The Expert Consultation noted and approved of the FAO decision to update the FAO Manual, Collecting data on livestock and recommended that, during this process, countries should be encouraged to provide comments and suggestions. The Expert Consultation requested that the update be completed by 31 December 2005. 70. The Expert Consultation strongly recommended that the awareness of the overall role and value of livestock statistics must be more effectively promoted. Recognizing that good policy making was dependent upon good data, the Expert Consultation recommended that FAO must be proactive in ensuring that countries are aware of the costs of inadequate data by developing case studies, by providing copies of relevant programs to assist policy makers in the use of data and by providing material for tertiary education establishments. It was also noted that training courses for technical personnel in livestock production could assist in providing policy makers and planners with better advice on options available and their implications. In addition, courses for policy makers and planners should be held to provide information on the tools available to assist and to provide information on the vital and cost effective role of accurate and reliable data in policy making. 71. The Expert Consultation agreed that these activities would form part of the effort required to enable FAO to more effectively take up its normative role regarding assistance at policy level and recognized that this type of advocacy is of even greater importance at present given the challenges facing the livestock industry.

72. The Expert Consultation noted the new developments in analysis, use and dissemination of livestock data, including GLIPHA, and recommended that the

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various products available through FAO to assist policy makers in using data should be initially presented by technical divisions to FAORs who could then demonstrate the products within the country. Alternatively, FAORs should arrange training courses for policy makers and planners and coordinate technical presentations of the products available for their assistance. The process should also encourage countries to provide more and improved data to further improve the development of tools.

73. While recognizing the efforts made so far by FAO, the Expert Consultation recommended that increasing technical competence in member countries in all aspects of data handling must be a greater priority for FAO. FAO should facilitate the exchange of experiences between countries, especially within common regions, on all aspects of data handling (e.g. data collection, data processing, analysis, dissemination). Applications and analysis techniques should include food balance sheets and supply-utilization accounts.

74. The Expert Consultation recommended that FAO explore with member countries better strategies for the acquisition of accurate, reliable primary data by improved methodologies which may include GIS, remote sensing and other new technologies. However, the Expert Consultation considered that present methodologies with better resourcing are more likely to produce initial benefits in this respect.

75. The Expert Consultation recognized the need to provide the most effective use of data and recommended that new sampling methods, data collection techniques and analysis procedures should be investigated and further research into the accuracy of different sampling techniques should be carried out by FAO to identify preferred procedures. The Expert Consultation recognized the role and use of forecasting and recommended that it should be included in this research. 76. Noting the recent changes regarding the treatment of data on exceptional losses, the Expert Consultation requested the parties involved to harmonise FAO guidelines and Eurostat guidelines for losses in livestock and for EAA purposes, wherever possible. Adoption of the report (Item 7 of the Agenda) 77. The Draft Report was presented and adopted after considering suggestions from the Experts. Closing of the expert consultation (Item 8 of the Agenda) 78. The Expert Consultation was adjourned after a vote of thanks.

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Annex 1

AGENDA

Agenda Item 1 Opening Session Agenda Item 2 Election of Officers and Adoption of the Agenda and Timetable Agenda Item 3 Presentation of the Background for the Expert Consultation and of its

Objectives Agenda Item 4 Livestock Sector Data for Decision-making

• Existing Methodologies for Collection of Livestock Sector Data • Review of Strengths/Weaknesses in the Methodologies

Agenda Item 5 Estimation and Forecasting of Livestock Sector Parameters

• Strategies for Collection of Data on Livestock Numbers • Strategies for Collection of Data on Livestock Products

Agenda Item 6 Analysis and Dissemination of Livestock Sector Data Agenda Item 7 Adoption of the Report Agenda Item 8 Closing of the Expert Consultation

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Annex 2

LIST OF DOCUMENTS

Doc. No. Agenda Title of Documents Item STAT/LVSTK/1 2 Provisional Agenda STAT/LVSTK/2 2 Provisional Timetable STAT/LVSTK/3.1 3 Background and Objectives of the Expert Consultation STAT/LVSTK/3.2 3 Review of FAO Activities in Livestock Statistics STAT/LVSTK/4 4 Use of Livestock Sector Data in Policy STAT/LVSTK/5 4 Use of Livestock Sector Data in National Accounts STAT/LVSTK/6 4 Use of Livestock Sector Data in Food Security and

Nutrition STAT/LVSTK/7 4 Existing Methodologies for Collection of Livestock

Sector Data STAT/LVSTK/8 4 Review of Strengths/Weaknesses in the

Methodologies STAT/LVSTK/9 5 Forecasting of Livestock Numbers STAT/LVSTK/10 5 Treatment of Data for Nomadic and Semi-nomadic

Livestock STAT/LVSTK/11 5 Assessment of Slaughter Statistics from Non-official

Slaughterhouses STAT/LVSTK/12 5 Sampling Considerations for Livestock Sector

Surveys STAT/LVSTK/13 5 Strategies for Collection of Data on Livestock STAT/LVSTK/14 5 Estimation of Livestock Products STAT/LVSTK/15 5 Supply-Utilization Accounting for Meat and Animals STAT/LVSTK/16 6 Data Analysis for Livestock Sector Policy

Formulation STAT/LVSTK/17 6 Analysis and Dissemination of Livestock Sector Data STAT/LVSTK/18 7 Adoption of the Report

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Annex 3

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS Ayush DEMBEREL Director-General Macro-Economic and Business Statistics Department National Statistical Office of Mongolia Government Building III Baga-toiruu 44, Sukhbaatar District Ulan Baataar, MONGOLIA Tel : (976-11) 323-968 Fax : (976-11) 324518 E-mail : demberel_a@yahoo.com Mamadou Lamine DIEDHIOU Head of Biometrics Unit International Livestock Research Institute PO Box 5689 Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA Tel : (251-1) 460259/ 463215 Fax: (251-1) 461252 E-mail : m.diedhiou@cgiar.org Roderick FORBES Senior Policy Analyst MAF Policy Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry P.O. Box 2526 Wellington, NEW ZEALAND Tel : (64-4) 474 4222 Fax : (64-4) 474 4206 E-mail : rod.forbes@maf.govt.nz Joo-Hwan KIM Professor Department of Statistics and Information Science Dongguk University Kyongju, Kyongbuk, KOREA Tel : (82-54) 770-2244 Fax : (82-54) 770-2210 E-mail : jhk@mail.dongguk.ac.kr

Ashok KUMAR Advisor(Stat), Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying Ministry of Agriculture Krishi Bhawan New Delhi 110001, INDIA Tel:/Fax: (91-11) 2338 4553 E-mail : ashok-kumar@nic.in Jean-Francois MICHEL Veterinary CIRAD-EMVT Animal Productions Program Campus International de Baillarguet TA 30/A 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, FRANCE Tel : (33-4) 67 61 58 00 ext. 4239 Fax : (33-4) 67 59 38 25 E-mail : jean-francois.michel@cirad.fr Slamet MUKENO Deputy Director General for Economic Statistics BPS-Statistics Indonesia Jl. Dr. Sutomo 6-8 Jakarta 10710, INDONESIA Tel/Fax No: (62-21) 384 - 6304 E-mail: mukeno@bps.go.id David STEANE 99 Moo 7 Baan Rong Dua Tha Kwang, Saraphi Chiang Mai 50140, THAILAND Tel/Fax : (66-53) 429- 918 E-mail : desteane@loxinfo.co.th

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Chalit AMNUAY Expert on Agricultural Statistics Office of Agricultural Economics Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperatives Bangkok, THAILAND Tel/Fax: (66-2) – 940-7244 E-mail: chalit@oae.go.th Nenita YANSON Chief Livestock Statistics Analysis Section Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) 1184 Ben-Lor Bldg., Quezon Avenue Quezon City, Manila, PHILIPPINES Tel : (63-2) 371-2067 & 373-3823 Fax : (63-2) 371-2067 E-mail : ntyanson@yahoo.com REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION ESCAP Joel JERE Statistician Statistics Division The United Nations Building Rajadmnern Nok Avenue Bangkok 10200, THAILAND Tel: (66-2) – 288-1659 Fax: (66-2) – 288-1082 E-mail: jerej@un.org OBSERVERS Edi ABDURACHMAN Director Centre for Agricultural Data and Information Ministry of Agriculture Jakarta 12540, INDONESIA Tel: (62-21)-7816384 Fax: (62-21)-7816385 E-mail: edi@deptan.go.id, cdia@binus.ac.id

Dewa Ngakan CAKRABAWA Head of Livestock Statistic Section Center for Agricultural Data & Information Ministry of Agriculture Jakarta 12540, INDONESIA Tel : (61-21) 7816384 Fax : (61-21) 7816385 E-mail : Cakra@deptan.go.id FAO Hiek SOM Chief Statistical Development Service Statistics Division FAO Headquarters Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00100 Rome, ITALY Tel: (39-06) 570-55070 Fax: (39-06) 570-55615 E-mail: hiek.som@fao.org Pius CHILONDA Livestock Information Analyst Animal Production and Health Division Livestock Information, Sector Analysis & Policy Branch FAO Headquarters Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00100 Rome, ITALY Tel: (39-06) 570-56691 Fax: (39-06) 570- 55749 E-mail: Pius.Chilonda@fao.org B. NANDI Senior Food and Nutrition Officer FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 39 Phra Atit Road Bangkok 10200, THAILAND Tel: (66-2) 697- 4143 Fax: (66-2) 697- 4445 E-mail: B.Nandi@fao.org

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Kimihiko EURA Agricultural Statistics Expert GCP/RAS/184/JPN 39 Maliwan Mansion Phra Athit Road Bangkok 10200, THAILAND Tel: (66-2) 697-4354 Fax (66-2) 697-4407 E-mail : kimihiko.eura@fao.org Carolyn C. Benigno Animal Health Officer FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 39 Phra Atit Road Bangkok 10200, THAILAND Tel: (66-2) 697- 4330 Fax: (66-2) 697- 4445 E-mail: Carolyn.Benigno@fao.org FAO Secretariat Frederick Dee BAKER Senior Statistician FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 39 Phra Atit Road Bangkok 10200, THAILAND Tel: (66-2) 697- 4250 Fax: (66-2) 697- 4445 E-mail: Frederick.Baker@fao.org Truchai SODSOON Translation Assistant FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 39 Phra Atit Road Bangkok 10200, THAILAND Dararat VIBULCHAROENKITJA Secretary FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 39 Phra Atit Road Bangkok 10200, THAILAND

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Annex 4

OPENING ADDRESS

by

He Changchui Assistant Director-General

and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific

Distinguished participants, Colleagues from FAO, Ladies and gentlemen,

It is with great pleasure, on behalf of FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf and on my own behalf, that I welcome you to the Expert consultation on livestock statistics. I am pleased that all of you have accepted our invitation to participate in this consultation.

Your group, in your capacity as experts in the field of livestock statistics, has

the task of providing FAO and its member countries with guidance towards the development of better methodologies and procedures for livestock statistics. In the next four days you will review, examine and evaluate livestock sector data requirements, current methodologies for collection and processing of livestock statistics, and various analysis and dissemination procedures. You will then make recommendations about how countries can obtain the best possible information about the livestock sector, as a basis for enhanced quality of the analytical work.

Allow me indeed to emphasize that, ultimately, the analysis and utilization of

the data are our overriding concerns. The quality of decision making depends on the quality, timeliness and reliability of the information available to farmers, scientists, government planners, traders and non-governmental organizations in order to make rational decisions on planning, investment, marketing, research and training. Ladies and gentlemen, The livestock sectors of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region have experienced phenomenal growth. This has created opportunities for farmers in the region to reap economic benefits, and it has also opened the way for people living in the region to improve their nutritional status through the consumption of livestock products.

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The diverse functions of livestock were examined in detail in a recent study of the Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific. The study shows, for instance, that in India the dairy industry provides work and income to an estimated 27.6 million people. Livestock meat industries offer gainful employment to about 3.5 million Sri Lankan farmers. In China, women provide over 70 percent of the labour used in household cattle raising.

The survey also found that ownership of livestock enhances the food security of the poor by improving their income. Malnourishment prevailed among 43 percent of people who do not own even a single livestock while only 14 percent of those with one bovine animal were undernourished. And livestock – besides the social status associated with its ownership – helps build social cohesiveness in rural areas such as through the sharing of animals for ploughing or providing draught power for irrigation.

The expansion of the livestock industries, however, has created new challenges for policy makers because of the far-reaching and sometimes unexpected impact it is having on various parts of the economy. Indeed, it is not only the level of food availability which is important, but also the stability of supplies. Livestock industry characteristics – such as the proportion of production that comes from traditional producers – are important variables for food security, in particular when a country does not have the financial resources to turn to international markets when it experiences a shortfall in domestic production.

Policy makers and researchers involved in the livestock industries in Asia

were asked to identify what they believed to be the main weaknesses of the sector. Production, marketing and infrastructure problems dominated the responses. However, the more long-term concerns were environmental issues and government intervention in global markets.

Ladies and gentlemen,

You may recall that in September 2000 at the UN Millennium Summit, 189 nations committed themselves to making the right to development a reality for everyone and to freeing the entire human race from want. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are intertwined with the aims of the World Food Summit (WFS), and poverty will not be reduced without substantially reducing hunger. FAO has the responsibility for monitoring progress towards the goal of halving, by 2015, the number of people who suffer from hunger. Up to the present, the Asia-Pacific region has achieved good progress, reducing the number of undernourished people over the last 20 years from 727 million to 508 million in the year 2000. However, with more than 500 million hungry people today, the challenge for the region is still daunting and the target of a further reduction to 280 million by 2015 will not be met unless and until urgent priority is given to the fight against hunger by redoubling our efforts to achieve the MDGs.

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As countries around the world strive to improve food security and alleviate poverty with limited resources, it is important to improve data collection procedures and data analysis techniques that measure the progress towards these goals. The challenge for Asian countries is to generate reliable and timely information that is vital to better decision-making to ensure the sustainability of the livestock sector. It is the responsibility of statisticians to provide that information in a timely and reliable fashion.

Your present review of existing methodologies and your recommendations

for strategies and methods to improve livestock sector data are by essence a high priority with considerable outreach to a wide user community from governments themselves to the public at large. As such, it will support the implementation of several commitments adopted by the WFS, and feed policy work with basic information for the statistical processing, analysis and support to statistical systems in the countries in the region as well as to core work of FAO such as the World Agricultural Information Centre – WAICENT, or the Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS). With your assistance and expertise in this complex matter we will be much closer to achieving common aims such as food and nutrition monitoring; advising on participatory community programmes and household level measures to improve nutritional status and food security; and food quality and safety for domestic and exported foods. Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me again express my appreciation for your participation in this expert consultation. I wish you success in your discussions and look forward to your conclusions and recommendations. And I hope that you have a chance to enjoy the renowned Thai hospitality and experience the charm of its people and culture.