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 congo jute or paka (urena lobata).

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).