Agricultural Sample Survey 1999-2000 (1992 E.C)

Field Organization:
All the 22 branch statistical offices of the CSA participated in the survey undertaking, especially in organizing the second stage training, in deploying the field staffs to their respective sites of assignment, in supervising the data collection, and retrieving completed questionnaires and submitting them to the head office for data processing. They were also responsible in administering the financial and logical aspect of the survey within their areas of assignment. In the data collection of the survey, a total of 1559 enumerators and 331 field supervisors were involved with an average supervisor-enumerators ratio of 1 to 5. To accomplish the data collection operation, all the enumerators were supplied with the necessary survey equipment at the completion of the training. To assist the data collection activities in deployment, supervision and retrieval of completed questionnaires, a total of 123 four-wheel vehicles were used.

Training of Field Staff:
The field staff training program was carried out in two stages. The first stage consisted of training of staff form the head office, branch statistical office heads and senior field supervisors. This training was given for a period of one week at CSA's headquarters in Addis Ababa. Many of these personnel trained in the first stage were assigned to conduct similar training for field supervisors and enumerators for fifteen days in all the twenty-two CSA branch statistical offices which are distributed all over the country. During this second stage of training, the field staff were given detailed classroom instruction on the objectives and uses of the AgSS, concepts and definitions of terms used, the method of area measurements, method of crop cutting, correct interviewing procedures, etc. The training of the enumerators and supervisors also included field practice to reinforce the undertaking of the concepts, definitions and theories discussed in the classroom with regard to field measurement and crop cutting methods.

Method of Data Collection:
In the 1999-2000 AgSS data on area and production were recorded on questionnaires using both subjective and objective enumeration methods. Information on agricultural practices (application of pesticides and use of irrigation) were collected subjectively by interviewing the holders and data on area under crops, yield, and application of fertilizers and use of seeds were collected by performing objective measurements in each sampled household. The objective measurement procedures for area measurement were carried out for the twenty-five selected agricultural households from each sampled EA. This required that all separate fields by land area utilization be physically measured using compass and measuring tape. In addition, for all fields under temporary crops of each holder of the last fifteen sampled households, each was classified by type of crop and for selected major crops, a field was randomly selected for each crop for crop cutting to be performed. Crop cutting procedures consist of demarcation of a sixteen square meter plot randomly located in the selected field for which the crop in the field is to be harvested. Following the field enumerator's harvest of the crop-cutting plot and threshing, the crop is stored in bags with identification information (i.e. name of the crop, holder's number and parcel and field numbers). The crop placed in the bag is weighed immediately (green weight) after threshing, and weighted again after two weeks of drying to simulate normal holder harvesting and drying practices. The green and dry weights are recoded on the respective forms.