Statistical surveys for food crops are wide-ranging: area planted/ harvested, yield per hectare/rai, crop damages, cost of production, prices, marketing, etc. Of these, ASEAD Project focuses its activities on the production surveys (area, yield and production forecasts) of major food products (paddy, cassava, sugarcane, maize and soybeans). It is hoped that these activities contribute to more accurate and timely data collection.
To begin with, the project tries to improve yield surveys. Crop cutting method coupled with probability sampling will be introduces. This will be followed by crop forecasting methods, which enables us to estimate crop production before harvesting takes place. Area survey will be covered after these two survey techniques have been developed.
Activities and outputs realized to date
- Cassava crop-cutting training: Manuals for cassava crop cutting survey were prepared and field training courses for OAE staff and enumerators were held on the test survey of cassava crop cutting (December 2003 to January 2004).
- Test survey of cassava crop cutting: The test survey was conducted at 480 sample farm fields in 15 provinces. The result demonstrated that the crop cutting approach by the hired enumerators could produce accurate yield data (March 2004).
- Review of the OAE data: Based on the result of crop-cutting, CAI reviewed the yield data obtained through its on-going interview survey (March to April 2004)
- Sugarcane crop cutting: Likewise, the crop cutting test survey was conducted for sugarcane (4 provinces, 240 sample farm fields). Its results were summarized and analyzed (March 2004)
- Rice crop cutting preparation: Crop cutting for major rice will be a main theme for this year. Crop cutting will take place in November-December 2004. The counterparts and expert is working on preparation of manuals and pre-testing.
- Longan crop cutting: OAE plans to estimate production of "longan" (tropical fruits) through crop cutting methods. The project expert assisting CAI in its planning and implementation. Overall, effectiveness of crop cutting method has been widely recognized by OAE and data users.
- Area survey: We plan to conduct a survey to estimate percentage of non-use area (dykes, paths, canals, etc.) in rice fields, in parallel with rice crop cutting. OAE now intends to employ the technique ("Heron" method) proposed by the expert for the dyke survey in measuring area of shrimp cultivation ponds.
- Library of papers/books for statistical methods: For statistical institutions such as CAI to plan and implement efficient and effective statistical surveys, it is quite necessary to study statistical theories and survey methods. ASEAD Project finds and uses some of these papers for the study by the experts and counterparts.
