Representativeness of the FADN CZ sample of agricultural enterprises and ways of its verification

Abstract

Following accession to the European Union, Czech Republic joined the EU FADN system. The Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) is the main EC information source on real economic situation of agricultural enterprises. It is a sample survey of individual farms and legal entities from the primary farm production domain and it supplies very detailed information on economic results. Representativeness, i.e., the degree of correspondence of sample information with population information in all relevant parameters except for size, is the priority requirement on sample surveys. The aim of testing the FADN CZ sample survey representativeness was to verify whether it was possible to draw conclusions on the population from the sample outcomes, in order to assess the whole of agriculture. Czech Statistical Office (CSO) data bases supplied data on the population.The paper deals with statistical techniques and methods suitable for the assessment of representativeness and the extent of sample needed. The actual results of representativeness verification are offered here, based on FADN CZ 2011 accounting year sample survey results. These were obtained in 2012. STATISTICA 10 special package was employed in the representativeness testing exercise. The analysis also offers methodology proposals in order to increase quality of the sample.

Keywords

• representativeness
• agriculture
• agricultural enterprise
• agricultural holding
• farm accountancy data network FADN CZ
• sample survey