State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan Republic

EC/FAO Programme on Information Systems to Improve Food Security Decision-Making in the

European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) East Area

Head of Department of Agriculture and Environment Statistics Rashad Bayramov.

Rome

2013

General information and institutional basis for Developing food balance sheets

“Law of Azerbaijan Republic on Foodstuffs” # 759-IQ adopted on 18 November 1999.

“Food Security program in Azerbaijan Republic” approved by Decfree of the President of Azerbaijan Republic, #640 dated on March 2, 2011.

“ State Program on Reliable Provision of Population of Azerbaijan Republic with Foodstuffs through 2008-2015” approved by Decree of the President of Azerbaijan Republic, # 3004 dated on 25 August 2008.

“Regulations for development of food balance sheets” approved by Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan Republic, #181, dated on November 20, 2009.

General information and institutional basis for Developing food balance sheets

In accordance with Decree of Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan Republic #181 dated on November 20, 2009 on” Approval of Regulations for development of food balance sheets” food balace sheets are developed for following products: wheat, other cereals, food legumes, flour, bread and bread products,rice, macarony products, potato, onion, other vegetables, melon crops, fruits and berries, meat and meat products, milk and milk products, cheese, egg, fish and fish products, vegetable oils, ,margarine, butter, canned fruits and vegetables, sugar,confectionery, tea and salt.

General information and institutional basis for Developing food balance sheets

The State Statistical Committee (SSC) pays special attention to development of food balance sheets which is considered important source for designing national food security plans. In accordance with the Order of SSC #139 dated on 18 July 2000 there was established “Department of Information Provision for Food Security” based on department of Supply Statistics of the Office of Agricultural Statistics, which later was renamed “the Department of Statistics of Food Security and Food Balance Sheets”. The functions of the department include: develop methodology and its periodic improvement; collection of data needed for development of food balance sheets; development of food balance sheets; analyze statistical data on food balance sheets, their publication and distribution.

Peculiarities of national food balance sheets

Food balance sheet groups for crop products (15)

for animal products (8)

For the products of food industry (28)

Information sources for compiling food balance sheets

Statistical records

Administrative data Data calculated from conclusions of case

statistical surveys

Ongoing activities

In the framework of the program, FAO experts have made three missions to Azerbaijan. The specialists from SSC have also participated in two study tours to learn international experiences. Results of each mission were discussed at Board Meeting of SSC, based on which action plan was approved.

The works undertaken in the framework of the program could be divided into 3 directions::

Assessment of data collection process and database for production of of food balance sheets, as well as comparison of these data with other publications of State Statistical Committee.

Comparison of food balance sheet methodology of SSC with that of FAO and evaluation of SSC methodology on the calculation of the use elements.

Accessibility and reliability of information on food balance sheet for users.

SSC was recommended optimization of number of surveys or improve conducted surveys on damages, costs of food and stocks at the end of the year to improve data collection process. SSC accepted the proposed recommendations agreed on 7 surveys which were conducted. Along with data collected through conducted surveys new methodology was also introduced for calculation of food, damages and balance at the end of the year with the purpose of producing food balance sheets for 2011. At the moment, in order to being computed from the general supply of food, loss and balances at the year end, on the recommendations of FAO, factors were used based on data from surveys conducted over the past four years

Recommendations and conclusions

Data on imports and exports of products for the food balance

data differed from the department of trade statistics. Department of

Trade Statistics Goskomstat based on data from the State Customs

Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan publishes trade data

collected to monitor customs and income taxes. "Food Security

Statistics and Food Balances Department" also uses information of

the Ministry of Agriculture on products imported into the country trying

to get a detailed idea of the import and export of all agricultural

products.

Recommendations and conclusions

FAO experts recommend to the State Statistics Committee,

the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Customs Committee to use

the general trade terms. Department of Trade Statistics and the

Department of Statistics of food security and food balances have to

decide harmonization of trading indicators that are published by the

State Statistics Committee. Or, taking into account the difference in

an attractive form with accompanying metadata to present to the

attention of users of the reason for the differences in these data. At

the moment, SSC prefers the second option.

Recommendations and conclusions

Another source of information for SSC includes survey of

budgets of households. The survey includes in itself the caloric value

of food consumed per capita. However, these data are very different

from the food balance shown in the level of consumption. The

difference was that the Department of Living Standards and

Household Survey Statistics" relies on the norms of the coefficient

calorie former Soviet Union (Belarus), and the Department of

Statistics of food security and the balance uses FAO’s calorie ratio..

This problem has been solved, and both departments are now

enjoying international ratio of calories.

Recommendations and conclusions

Concerning to this problem I would like to note that, in

accordance with paragraph 6.2.18. of the State Program "On

development of official statistics in the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2013-

2017 years" approved by Presidential Decree of 21 December 2012 it

was considered to elaborate national conversion factors for essential

food characterized the energy and nutritional value (protein, fat,

carbohydrates) in 2014, together with the Ministries of Health,

Agriculture and the State Committee on Standardization, Metrology

and Patents.

Recommendations and conclusions

Prior to FAO mission access to food balance sheets was

limited to annual publication called "Food balance of Azerbaijan",

published by the State Statistics Committee. Priority was to increase

access to information on food balance sheets by distributing data

through the Internet. In addition, it was recommended to increase the

accuracy of data, analysis of existing metadata standards and

improve official metadata structures.

The proposed recommendations were aaccepted by the

State Statistics Committee. Since the conduction of integrated

metadata from September 1, 2012, work has begun to ensure the

availability of public data on the Food Balance at the web site of

SSC. All works were carried out in three stages:

Recommendations and conclusions

I stage (September-October2012): Updating web page, To create food balance section in the site. 2 stage (November-December 2012): Develop new structure of database, Develop technical design iof new interface, Consider ways of integration in web page, Develop structure of metadata systems, Create link between database and metadata.

3 stage (January- February2013): Include basic indicators of Food Balance into database, Include metadata information into database, Produce output tables, Completion of the work on new interface development, testing, create database and metadata and completion of works on information distribution.

New web-page of SSC has been develop in accordance with

requirements of international organizations.The The created site

includes a new section (interface) on food balance sheets.

Analyzing the existing system and the structure of indicators of food

balance sheets, coordinating with the Department of Statistics of the

Food Security and the balance sheets, there were identified the

basic data, which are available on the website.

The website has also been provided with software for databases,

metadata, and to work with the output tables under “Food security".

In addition, it was posted an annual summary of information on food

balance sheets.

Recommendations and conclusions

During this time, it was drawn up a new database structure

according to the technical instructions, which is located in the main database

menu under "Statistics Database“. In developing the structure, between the

database and the information metadata created a smooth transition and

options that help to enhance the function of the system in the future. The

structure of the metadata system has been determined, an algorithm for the

development of information has been compiled and , as well as relevant

software has been designed and completed. Database and metadata

indicators have been included in the database.

There were developed mobile output tables. The dynamic (active)

software output tables and at the same time the conditions for easy access

from mobile output tables to the metadata have been secured.

Recommendations and conclusions

In addition, for the convenience of the users there is an

opportunity to download information into commonly used formats

such as - html, xls, pdf. Users have also a chance to choose types of

individual and group products, individual components of the balance

of products and selection conditions of the calendar year. There is

also every condition for access to simple diagrams drawn on the

basis of output tables.

Electronic address of the interface:

http://www.azstat.org/customtables/

Recommendations and conclusions

"Food balance sheets of Azerbaijan“ was placed in the section “Food Balance Sheets“ on the home page of the Web Site of SSC. The publication consists of six sections. The first section presents data on crop production, the second section on livestock production, in the third section on the resources of industrial products and their use: absolute data, the relative growth of the components. The fourth section includes the relative data: the per capita consumption, self-sufficiency and the level of dependence on imports. The fifth section shows comparative data of the world, based on FAO data. The sixth and final section is devoted to the methodology for the development of food balance sheets. The publication is intended for employees of the governing and executive bodies, for economists, bachelors, masters, scholars and other users.

Recommendations and conclusions

Thank you for attention !

State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan Republic