The main activities of Agriculture Statistics Division are - ccollection, compilation, maintenance of Agricultural Statistics is the main functions of Agriculture Division of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics. DES is the State Agricultural Statistics Authority (SASA), to collect, compile and analyse data under the schemes- Improvement of Crop Statistics (ICS), Crop Estimation Survey (CES, Land Use Statistics (LUS) , Crop Forecast, Timely Reporting Schemes (TRS), Sample Check on Area Enumeration, Sample Survey on Arecanut, Coconut, Fruits and Vegetables (ACFV) and CES on Jhum Cultivation in 2 hill districts.
The Division also conducts Agriculture Census in the state. Agriculture Census is a central sector scheme which is conducted quinquennially in the country for collection of data on structure of operational holdings and its related characteristics by different Size Classes, Social Groups and Gender. The census is followed by Input Survey which provided key information about the structure of the Agriculture Sector of the country.
Statistics of land use and crop area in the state originate as a by-product of Land Revenue Administration. The State system envisaged field to field enumeration by the Lot Mandals (Primary Workers) in the villages under their jurisdiction in each crop season. The details of crop area and land use particulars are recorded in a register called ‘CHITHA’. On the basis of this basic document the Directorate of Economics & Statistics has to prepare district and State level Land Use Statistics ie. Area abstract, Crop abstract and Irrigation abstract. But this procedure entails and induces delays in providing statistics of area under crops for which proper utilization (for production estimates of different crops in Assam) of area under different crops are not done.
In order to streamline the system of area reporting leading to provide timely information of area sown under crops, a programme known as Timely Reporting Scheme (TRS) was introduced by Union Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operation from 1973-74. The purpose of this scheme was to make administrative policy decision etc. of the State Government and to prepare reliable estimates of area under different crops and their production which are required much in advance. Though the primary field work is carried out by the field worker (Mandals) of the Revenue Department, the Director of Economics and Statistics (SASA) has drawn up the technical plan & programme, organized the training and analyzed the results.
Government in Agriculture Department had constituted Sub-divisional Committee on Agricultural Statistics (SDCAS) for preparation of forecast area under crops and review of collection, compilation and maintenance of Agricultural Statistics in the Sub-division level.
In the same Department Government had constituted another committee namely “The State Committee on Agricultural Statistics (SCAS)”, with the secretary to the Government of Assam, Revenue Department as chairman and Director of Economics and Statistics (SASA) as member-secretary for preparation of forecast area and production of crops and to review of collection, compilation and finalization of data on Agricultural Statistics at State level.
Government of India has introduced a crop calendar showing specific dates and crops for holding forecast meetings at sub-division level for finalization of forecast area and estimation of average yield etc. on receipt of which from the sub-divisions the meetings of SCAS are held for finalization and release of District and State level estimates of area, average yield and production for onward transmission to the Government of India as per forecast calendar.
Crop Estimation Survey (CES) is one of the vital work relating to Agricultural Statistics done by the Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Assam. The objective of CES is to estimate district level and State level average yield (Kg/hect) and production of principal food and non-food crops conducting, scientifically planned crop cutting experiments in field level. Nine principal food and non-food crops covered under CES in Assam are Autumn paddy, Jute, Winter paddy, Matikalai, Rape & Mustard, Potato, Sugarcane, Wheat and Summer paddy. The crop estimation surveys are being done under the technical guidance of National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), Government of India.
To collect crop growing areas of Arecanut, Coconut, Fruits and Vegetables and to estimate average yield and production of Arecanut & Coconut, another survey viz. Survey on Arecanut, Coconut, Fruits & Vegetables (ACFV) is also conducted regularly by the Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Assam, following statistical technique.
National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) under Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, Government of India has overall responsibility for providing technical guidance to all the States in developing suitable survey techniques for obtaining reliable estimates, assistance in training of staff and ensuring supervision. For the improvement of collection of crop statistics, NSSO (FOD) Government of India jointly with State Government of Assam has introduced a scheme “Improvement of Crop Statistics” (ICS) in the State from 1974-75. The objective of the scheme is to locate deficiencies in the system of collection of crop Statistics by exercising meaningful technical supervision over the primary field workers and to suggest remedial measures for improvement of the system.
Agriculture Census is a large scale statistical operations under Central Sector Scheme where detailed information of the land holding is collected by taking the Agricultural holding as the basic unit of operations. The Census is collected in a phase manner to get basic data on operational holding viz. Number, Size, Tenancy, Land Utilization, Irrigation Particulars and Cropping Pattern, etc.
The 10th Agriculture Census with reference year 2015-16 is under progress in the State. The Phase-I data of Agriculture Census, 2015-16 is expected to be available during the end of this Year.
| District wise Area, Production and Average Yield of Different Crops | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | Autumn Rice | Winter Rice | Summer Rice | Total | ||
| Pulses | Gram | Tur | Rabi Pulses | Total | ||
| Rabi Pulses | Mug | Masur | Matikalai | Peas | Others | Total |
| Fibres | Cotton | Jute | Mesta | Total | ||
| Cereals | Rice | Maize | Wheat | Small Millets & Other Cereals | Total | |
| Oil Seeds | Castor | Linseed | Sesamum | Rape & Mustard | Nizer | Total |
| Food Grains | Cereals | Pulses | Total | |||
| Other | Sugarcane | Black Pepper | Ginger | Arecanut | Orange | |
| Pine Apple | Potato | Sweet Potato | Tapioca | Onion | ||
| Papaya | Banana | Chillies | Coconut | Tobacco | Turmeric | |