Explanatory Notes on Main Statistical
Indicators
Indices of Agricultural Production The indices of agricultural production
show the relative level of the aggregate volume of agricultural production for
each year in comparison with the base period 2004-2006. They are based on the
sum of price-weighted quantities of different agricultural commodities produced
after deductions of quantities used as seed and feed weighted in a similar
manner. The resulting aggregate represents, therefore, disposable production
for any use except as seed and feed. All the indices at the country, regional
and world levels are calculated by the Laspeyres
formula. Production quantities of each commodity are weighted by 2004-2006
average international commodity prices and summed for each year. To obtain the
index, the aggregate for a given year is divided by the average aggregate for
the base period 2004-2006.
Cereals Area and production data on
cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested
for hay or harvested green for food, feed or silage or used for grazing are
therefore excluded.
Roots and Tubers, Total
Includes other root crops such as yautia
and arrowroot. Root crops grown principally for feed such as turnips, mangels and swedes are not
included.
Fruit Excl. Melons Total Data refer to
total production of fresh fruit, whether finally used for direct consumption
for food or feed, or processed into different products: dry fruit, juice, jam,
alcohol, etc.
Tea
Production figures relate to made tea.
Jute and Jute-like Fibres are obtained from corchorus capsularis and corchorus olitorius. Allied fibres include a number of jute substitutes, the main ones
being kenaf or mesta
and roselle (hibiscus spp.)
and
Livestock Numbers The data on
livestock numbers are intended to cover all domestic animals irrespective of
their age and the place or purpose of their breeding.
Meat Data relate to
animals slaughtered within national boundaries, irrespective of their origin.
Cow Milk Data on cow milk
production relate to total production of whole fresh milk, excluding the milk
sucked by young animals but including amounts fed to livestock.
Eggs Data generally refer
to total production, including eggs for hatching, in both agricultural and
nonagricultural sectors.
Wool Wool production statistics are generally given for greasy
wool, which contains from 30 to 65 percent impurities. In order to make figures
comparable, data are given also on a degreased (scoured) basis.
Fertilizers may be organic, inorganic or
mineral. Organic fertilizers play an important role in crop production and are
derived from animal, plant and compost. Mineral fertilizers are available to
the farmer in solid or liquid form, and are delivered to the farm either in
bulk, in bags or in pressurized containers. All fertilizers contain at least one
of the major plant nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K).
Tractors Data generally refer
to total wheel and crawler tractors (excluding garden tractors) used in
agriculture.
Harvester-Threshers Data refer to
self-propelled machines that reap and thresh in one operation.