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.