GUWAHATI, Oct 10 � The Ninth Agriculture Census, 2010-11, recently started in Assam. The census is an elaborate exercise taking place every five years, and a central sector scheme conducted under the guidance of Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture and Co-operation, Government of India.
The information derived from the agriculture census plays a vital role in taking up appropriate plans and programmes in respect of agriculture sector of the State as well as of the country.
The Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Assam has been participating in the Agriculture Census since 1970-71. The census is followed by an Input Survey at an interval of one year of each Agricultural Census. The field work of first phase of the census has already started.
�Agriculture Census is the major source of information on basic characteristics of operational holding such as number and area of operational holding, land use and cropping pattern, tenancy status, irrigation status, area leased in terms of leasing and area under different crops, and this information is collected by different size classes and social status-wise,� said PK Bhattacharjya, Director of Economics and Statistics, Assam.
The Agriculture Census is conducted by re-tabulating land record data already available and maintained by the Revenue Department, Government of Assam. The field work is carried out by the Lat Mandals in addition to their normal duties by re-tabulation of information already available in the Chitha Book.
Meanwhile, the District and Circle level functionaries have been trained up for conducting the census. The result of the first phase of the census is expected to be available by the end of this year. The Revenue Department, the Agriculture Department, the Irrigation Department, the Rural Development Department and other line departments are participating in the census operation in the State as in the past.
