INFORMING THE MESSAGE

The importance of statistics for the farming sector

Rowena DwyerIFA Chief Economist22nd November 2012

Contents

• IFA structure and policy development

• Role of statistics – recent work•Importance of Agriculture – a County Breakdown

• Limitations and challenges

• The future

IFA Structure

947Branches

29 CountyExecutives

15 National Committees

10 ProjectTeams

87,000Farmer

Subscribers

12 Regional Offices

HQExecutives

20

Brussels 1 Executive

General Secretary

ExecutiveCouncil

53 Members

ExecutiveBoard

8 Members (6 dir. elected)

President

Developing and disseminating the message

Internal Communications•IFA meetings, newsletters to members, briefing documents•Mobile phone text messaging - IFA News Alerts, Internet •Coverage in Local/National Radio & Press

External messaging•Lobbying politicians – local, national, EU level•Representation on State Agencies – interaction with public service•Policy positions and documentation, media campaigns and demonstrations

Demand for statistics

• Can we say……..?• Can we show……?• Can you get……..?

• Statistics play a vital role in developing and supporting credible policy arguments

• Backbone of campaigns, speeches, policy documents• CSO, Teagasc, Bord Bia, DAFM, DoF, DPER, C&AG, Central

Bank, ESRI

From this…………….

To this…………….

Data sources for County Exercise

CSO • Census of Agriculture 2010 – Preliminary Results,

• Output, Input and Income in Agriculture 2011 – Final Estimate

• Regional Accounts for Agriculture 2010

• Census of Agriculture 2000 – Economic Size Unit (ESU) of Farms

• Supply and Use And Input-Output Tables 2005

• QNHS - Persons aged 15 years and over in employment (ILO) classified by NACE Rev 2 (2 digit), NACE Code 10

• Census 2011, Profile 3 at Work - Employment, Occupations and Industry

Other• Bord Bia, Export Performance 2011 and Prospects 2012

• Annual Review & Outlook for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 2011/2012, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

• Forestry Service

Limitations and challenges

•Preliminary versus final data – media coverage will always be on latest release, despite health warnings

•Timing of data – delay between data collection and publication

•Sensitivity of data - level of detail available can be less than desired – e.g. further breakdown of intermediate consumption

•Comparability and reliability of data – survey vs. administrative data

The future

• Demand for data will never diminish!

• Scope for increased access – e.g. through database direct

• Improved coordination of data collection between different agencies

• Continued cooperation with agriculture sector – Agriculture Census 2010, ASLG

Thank you for your attention