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Should you fill out a questionnaire?
Confidentiality and biosecurity
Costs and response burden
Content and data
Processing the data

Should you fill out a questionnaire?

1. Who needs to complete a Census of Agriculture questionnaire?
2. What is the definition of an agricultural operator?
3. How is an agricultural operation defined?
4. Are hobby farms included in the Census of Agriculture?
5. Why do operators of very small operations have to fill in the Census of Agriculture
questionnaire?

6. How does the Census of Agriculture benefit operators?
7. What is the legal authority for the Census of Agriculture?
8. Are there penalties for not answering and returning the questionnaire?

Confidentiality and biosecurity

9. Can a person be identified by the information they provide?
10. Why does Statistics Canada conduct the Census of Agriculture?
11. How are my data kept private?
12. Is information from the Census of Agriculture and the Census of Population
combined in any way?

13. What safeguards are in place to protect biosecurity on farms?

Costs and response burden

14. Why doesn't the Census of Agriculture use sampling?
15. Why aren't there different questionnaires for different types of agricultural
operations?

16. How much does the Census of Agriculture cost?
17. Why is the Census of Agriculture taken in May, such a busy time for farmers?
18. Is Statistics Canada conducting a Farm Financial Survey this year in addition to
the Census of Agriculture?

19. What about my income tax return? You seem to be asking for exactly the same
information that I've already given the government.

20. Why are other agricultural surveys taken at the same time as the census?
21. What other agricultural surveys are being conducted during the 2006 Census
window (mid-April to end of June)?

Content and data

22. What changes have been made to the 2006 Census of Agriculture from 2001?
23. How was the content of the 2006 Census of Agriculture determined?
24. How many agricultural operations were counted in the last Census of Agriculture?
25. How are Census of Agriculture data used?
26. Does the Census of Agriculture ask any questions that could be used to assess farming's impact on the environment?

Processing the data

27. Where will Census of Agriculture data be processed?
28. What steps are taken to ensure that all agricultural operations are counted?
29. When will the 2006 Census of Agriculture data be available to the public, and how
can I keep track of releases?

30. Why does it take a year to release results from the Census of Agriculture?
31. For what geographic areas are Census of Agriculture data available?
32. How is the quality of the data evaluated?

Should you fill out a questionnaire?

1. Who needs to complete a Census of Agriculture questionnaire?

Any of the persons responsible for operating a farm or an agricultural operation should fill in a Census of Agriculture questionnaire.

2. What is the definition of an agricultural operator?

The Census of Agriculture uses the word operator to define a person responsible for the management and/or financial decisions made in the production of agricultural commodities. An agricultural operation can have more than one operator, such as a husband and wife, a father and son, two sisters, or two neighbours.

The terms agricultural operator and operation are used in the census because they are broader in scope than farmer and farm, and better reflect the range of agricultural business from which the Census of Agriculture collects data. For example, the term farm would not usually be associated with operations such as maple sugar bushes, mushroom houses, ranches, or feedlots.

3. How is an agricultural operation defined?

An agricultural operation is defined as a farm, ranch or other operation that produces agricultural products intended for sale. Examples of products are:

Crops Livestock Poultry Animal products Other agricultural products
  • hay
  • field crops
  • tree fruits or nuts
  • berries or grapes
  • vegetables
  • seed
  • cattle
  • pigs
  • sheep
  • horses
  • game animals
  • other livestock
  • hens
  • chickens
  • turkeys
  • chicks
  • game birds
  • other poultry
  • milk or cream
  • eggs
  • wool
  • furs
  • meat
  • Christmas trees
  • sod, greenhouse or nursery products
  • mushrooms
  • honey or bees
  • maple syrup products

4. Are hobby farms included in the Census of Agriculture?

Yes. Farms with very low farm revenues — commonly called "hobby" farms — are included as long as the agricultural products produced are intended for sale.

5. Why do operators of very small operations have to fill in the Census of Agriculture questionnaire?

The Census of Agriculture enumerates small operations because it is important that the total farm area and the total inventory of all crops, livestock, and other agricultural products in Canada be counted. There are many small agricultural operations that as a group contribute significantly to agricultural inventories.

6. How does the Census of Agriculture benefit operators?

  • Operators can use census data to make production, marketing and investment decisions.
  • Producer groups and marketing agencies use census data to tell Canadians and government how they are doing economically through their non-government organizations.
  • Companies supplying agricultural products and services use the data to determine where to locate their service centres.
  • Government policy advisors use the data to help develop programs related to safety nets and human resources for the agriculture sector.
  • Operators can keep abreast of trends in Canadian agriculture through the analysis of Census of Agriculture data published by the agriculture media.
  • Agriculture websites can target their information to current trends and needs in the sector based on census data.
  • Governments and farm organizations use census data to evaluate the impact of natural disasters on agriculture (such as the floods in Manitoba's Red River area, the Saguenay region of Quebec, or the 1998 ice storm in Eastern Canada) and react quickly.

7. What is the legal authority for the Census of Agriculture?

The mandate to conduct the Census of Agriculture every 10 years comes from the Constitution Act–1867 (formerly the British North America Act (BNA)).

Over the decades the mandate to conduct a census in the Constitution Act–1867 was augmented by the Statistics Act–1970, which stipulates that

  • "A census of agriculture of Canada shall be taken by Statistics Canada
  • (a) in the year 1971 and in every tenth year thereafter; and
  • (b) in the year 1976 and in every tenth year thereafter, unless the Governor in Council otherwise directs in respect of any such year.
  • 1970-71-72, c. 15, s. 19."

8. Are there penalties for not answering and returning the questionnaire?

Yes. Under the Statistics Act, agricultural operators are required to complete a Census of Agriculture form. Refusing to answer the questions on the census form could result in a fine of $500 or a jail term of three months, or both.

Confidentiality and biosecurity

9. Can a person be identified by the information they provide?

No. All published data are subject to confidentiality restrictions, and any data in which an individual or agricultural operation could be identified are suppressed.

10. Why does Statistics Canada conduct the Census of Agriculture?

The Census of Agriculture collects a wide range of data on the agriculture industry such as number of farms and farm operators, farm areas, business operating arrangements, land management practices, livestock and crop inventories, operating expenses and receipts, farm capital and farm machinery and equipment.

These data provide a comprehensive picture of the agriculture industry across Canada every five years at the national, provincial and sub-provincial levels.

11. How are my data kept private?

The 2006 Census marks a change in how your census information is collected and processed. Although most questionnaires will still be delivered by an enumerator in rural areas, the process for returning them is completely different. Instead of returning questionnaires to local enumerators, all questionnaires will be returned by mail to a single processing centre in the National Capital Region. The only time you would be visited by a local enumerator is if we haven't received your questionnaire. We are also offering, for the first time, the option of completing your questionnaire securely via the Internet. Any telephone follow-up of incomplete questionnaires will be from a centralized location outside your area.

Of course, as has always been the case, all information on census forms, including financial information, is protected under confidentiality provisions in the Statistics Act. All census representatives are sworn to secrecy and could be prosecuted if they were ever to reveal a respondent's personal information.

12. Is information from the Census of Agriculture and the Census of Population combined in any way?

Yes. A special Agriculture–Population database is created after each census to provide a unique socio-economic profile of people involved in agriculture. Information can be found on many topics, such as age and education levels of dairy farmers, or principal occupations and incomes of beef farmers. The provisions on confidentiality ensure that the identity of individuals is protected and that they cannot be identified by the information they provide.

13. What safeguards are in place to protect biosecurity on farms?

Since diseases can be accidentally introduced by a visitor to a farm, agricultural operators may limit access to their land or farm buildings. Enumerators are asked to behave responsibly by showing sensitivity to the issues operators face, and by making sure their actions do not contribute to the risk of spreading infection.

The following practices are adhered to when enumerators are delivering census questionnaires:

  • Questionnaires are delivered to the residence or farmhouse only.
  • Enumerators do not cross farmland or fields to locate the operator if no one is home.
  • They also will not enter farm buildings, farm shops, etc. in an attempt to locate the operator.
  • Pets do not accompany an enumerator.

If there is a biosecurity sign at the entrance or main gate ("Restricted Access," for example) the enumerator will not enter the property but will record that "access is restricted" and another method (such as a phone call) will be used to ensure that the operator receives the census questionnaires.

Costs and response burden

14. Why doesn't the Census of Agriculture use sampling?

The Statistics Act requires that a census of all farm operations in Canada be conducted every five years. Since a census is, by definition, every farm operation, sampling only a portion of operations would not honour the Act nor would it provide the complete picture a census can.

The Census of Agriculture is the primary source for small-area data and for survey sampling, and it is important that each agricultural operation complete a Census of Agriculture questionnaire, regardless of size or geographic location. Samples are used for making agriculture estimates between census years.

15. Why aren't there different questionnaires for different types of agricultural operations?

The Census of Agriculture uses a generalized form for operators across Canada, since all respondents need to answer some questions. Using one form nation-wide ensures consistency across Canada, while tick boxes and different sections for specific types of operations allow operators to answer only those questions pertinent to their type of operation. A single form also keeps development costs down. Every effort is made to keep the questionnaire as concise as possible to minimize respondent burden.

16. How much does the Census of Agriculture cost?

The projected total cost for the 2006 Census of Agriculture over the seven-year cycle is $41.6 million in 2005 dollars. An independently conducted Census of Agriculture would cost at least 80% more in total than it does by combining it with the Census of Population.

17. Why is the Census of Agriculture taken in May, such a busy time for farmers?

In this particularly busy and stressful period the arrival of the 2006 Census of Agriculture questionnaire in May might seem ill-timed. But in working with the Census of Population, the Census of Agriculture is afforded an opportunity to save millions of taxpayers' dollars by sharing the same enumerators, processing centre and other aspects of collection. The timing of the larger Census of Population is driven by the need to maximize the number of Canadians who are home during enumeration. During the winter our retired "snowbirds" migrate south, and the moment school lets out many Canadian families with school children go on vacation. These factors have led the Census of Population to decide that May 16 will be Census Day. While it may take farm operators away from their work, filling in the questionnaire yields its own benefits.

Producer groups and marketing agencies use census data to tell Canadians and governments about their economic health, which can influence agricultural policies. Operators can keep abreast of trends through the analysis of Census of Agriculture data published by the agriculture media. And the agricultural websites used by farmers can target their information to current trends and needs based on census data.

18. Is Statistics Canada conducting a Farm Financial Survey this year in addition to the Census of Agriculture?

The Farm Financial Survey is conducted every year. In 2006, the collection period will be postponed until July and August so that it does not coincide with the census collection period. To lighten the burden on respondents, overlap with other agriculture surveys will be minimized.

19. What about my income tax return? You seem to be asking for exactly the same information that I've already given the government.

Your income tax form is for an individual and the Census of Agriculture asks about your business. Our ability to match an individual to their business is limited. It is more accurate and less expensive to collect the information from you directly on the census form, even though it seems repetitive, than to try and match individual income tax returns to a business. The number of incomplete matches would be so high that the data would be misleading and unreliable.

20. Why are other agricultural surveys taken at the same time as the census?

Because timely information on the agriculture industry is required by governments and other users, it is necessary to conduct sample surveys in a shorter time frame than the census. The Census of Agriculture is a national activity that involves collecting information from every agricultural operation in Canada. The collection, follow-up, quality checks, tabulation and publication of data from such an extensive operation take about one year. The census could not replace small-scale surveys, which have a much more rapid turnaround time. It is also more economical to collect certain types of information on a sample basis, especially if the required data are only for specific provinces or population groups. Once available, Census of Agriculture data are used to benchmark farm surveys.

21. What other agricultural surveys are being conducted during the 2006 Census window (mid-April to end of June)?

Atlantic Region
(Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland)
Survey name Description Collection period 2006 Estimated sample size in the Atlantic Region
Atlantic Agriculture Survey Survey on CATI1 — Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island May 23 to May 31 1,000
Fruit and Vegetable Survey, Spring Survey on CATI1 — across Canada April 11 to April 29 1,800
Maple Survey Mail-out; New Brunswick and Ontario April to August 2,000, Ontario and New Brunswick
National Potato Area and Yield Survey Telephone; Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick; only in June. June 21 to June 28 260 Prince Edward Island
140 New Brunswick
Potato Prices Survey — telephone, monthly; Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia Monthly except May 150
Ranch Fur Survey Mail-out, across Canada January 3 to April 30 189
Quebec
Survey name Description Collection period 2006 Estimated sample size in Quebec Region
Fruit and Vegetable Survey, Spring Survey on CATI1 — across Canada April 11 to April 29 2,400
June Farm Survey Survey on CATI1 — Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia May 15 to June 2 2,420
July Livestock Survey Survey on CATI1 — Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia June 12 to June 23 1,700
Potato Prices Survey — telephone; monthly; Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia Monthly except May 77
Ranch Fur Survey Mail-out, across Canada January 3 to April 30 36
Ontario
Survey name Description Collection period 2006 Estimated sample size in Ontario Region
Fruit and Vegetable Survey, Spring Survey on CATI1 — across Canada April 11 to April 29 4,000
June Farm Survey Survey on CATI1 — Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia May 15 to June 2 5,133
July Livestock Survey Survey on CATI1 — Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia June 12 to June 23 2,100
Maple Survey Mail-out, New Brunswick and Ontario April to August 2,000, Ontario and New Brunswick
Potato Prices Survey — telephone, monthly; Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia Monthly except May 60
Ranch Fur Survey Mail-out, across Canada January 3 to April 30 64
Prairie Region
(Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba)
Survey name Description Collection period 2006 Estimated sample size in Prairie Region
Fruit and Vegetable Survey, Spring Survey on CATI1 — across Canada April 11 to April 29 1,000
June Farm Survey Survey on CATI1 — Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia May 15 to June 2 23,697
July Livestock Survey Survey on CATI1 — Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia June 12 to June 23 5,900
Potato Prices Survey — telephone, monthly; Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia Monthly except May 186
Ranch Fur Survey Mail-out, across Canada January 3 to April 30 31
Pacific Region
(British Columbia)
Survey name Description Collection period 2006 Estimated sample size in Pacific Region
Fruit and Vegetable Survey, Spring Survey on CATI1 — across Canada April 11 to April 29 3,200
June Farm Survey Survey on CATI1 — Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia May 15 to June 2 460
July Livestock Survey Survey on CATI1 — Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia June 12 to June 23 800
Potato Prices Survey — telephone, monthly; Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia Monthly except May 76
Ranch Fur Survey Mail-out, across Canada January 3 to April 30 15

Content and data

22. What changes have been made to the 2006 Census of Agriculture from 2001?

The 2006 Census of Agriculture questionnaire contains questions asked in 2001 as well as new ones. Some questions remain unchanged to maintain consistency and comparability of data over time. Other questions have been added or deleted to reflect changes in the agriculture industry. For example,

  • The manure section has been greatly expanded to ask whether manure was used or produced on an operation, the form in which it was applied to the land and how it was applied, as well as whether the land was in crops, hay or pasture, or other use.
  • The organic section has been revised and expanded to ask about certified or non-certified organic production and production status according to five commodity categories. The section also asks for the name of the certifying agency for certified and transitional products.
  • The following descriptions cover changes or additions from the 2001 questionnaire by topic in the order they appear on the 2006 questionnaire. (These changes are a result of the user consultation process and testing leading up to the final version of the 2006 questionnaire. Some questions or categories have been combined in response to suggestions that doing so would make the question more understandable and easier to answer.)

23. How was the content of the 2006 Census of Agriculture determined?

Census of Agriculture staff consulted with data users at a series of workshops held across Canada in 2002. Agricultural producer groups, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada analysts, other public and private sector analysts and academics suggested new topics for the 2006 Census of Agriculture during these consultations. The workshop participants were also surveyed by mail and asked to rate the importance of proposed new census questions.

New or changed questions were developed in Head Office and tested a number of times with farm operators who reflected regional diversity — in types of agriculture, production techniques, language and terminology, and in policies or issues that could affect the sensitivity of questions. This testing proved that some questions would not perform well on the census, and that the wording of other questions would require fine-tuning.

Based on the test results, Statistics Canada finalized the content and design of the 2006 questionnaire in the fall of 2004. The questions were approved by Cabinet and prescribed by Order in Council as required under the Statistics Act in the spring of 2005.

24. How many agricultural operations were counted in the last Census of Agriculture?

The 2006 Census of Agriculture recorded 229,373 census farms.

Number of agricultural operations in 2006 and 2001, Canada and provinces
Province 2006 2001
Newfoundland 558 643
Prince Edward Island 1,700 1,845
Nova Scotia 3,795 3,923
New Brunswick 2,776 3,034
Quebec 30,675 32,139
Ontario 57,211 59,728
Manitoba 19,054 21,071
Saskatchewan 44,329 50,598
Alberta 49,431 53,652
British Columbia 19,844 20,290
Canada 229,373 246,923

25. How are Census of Agriculture data used?

Census of Agriculture data are used by

  • the farm operator to formulate production, marketing and investment decisions;
  • agricultural producer groups to inform their members about industry trends and developments, to put the viewpoint of operators before legislators and the Canadian public, and to defend their interests in international trade negotiations;
  • governments to make policy decisions concerning agricultural credit, crop insurance, farm support, transportation, market services and international trade;
  • Statistics Canada to produce annual estimates between censuses for the agriculture sector;
  • businesses when marketing products and services, and when making production and investment decisions;
  • academics to conduct research on the agriculture sector.

26. Does the Census of Agriculture ask any questions that could be used to assess farming's impact on the environment?

The Census of Agriculture identifies and measures farming practices that may relate to changing environmental concerns. The 2006 questionnaire features a greatly expanded manure section that asks whether manure was used or produced on an operation, the form in which it was applied to the land (solid, composted, liquid) and how it was applied (incorporated, not incorporated, injected or by irrigation) as well as whether the land was in crops, hay or pasture, or other use.

Census of Agriculture data are also used to assess the effects or threats of droughts, flooding, insect infestations, erosion damage, soil degradation (loss of soil nutrients), as well as patterns of herbicide, insecticide and fertilizer use, and adoption of sustainable land management practices such as conservation tillage, strip-cropping, etc.

Processing the data

27. Where will Census of Agriculture data be processed?

Once completed questionnaires are received, they go to a central processing centre in the National Capital Region where they are scanned and electronically imaged for data processing. Processing Census of Agriculture questionnaires includes many checks and balances to ensure high quality data.

The 2006 Census marks the first time that both the Census of Population and the Census of Agriculture will be using a technology called Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR). The Census of Agriculture pioneered the use of this technology in 2001, an experience that has provided invaluable insight for 2006. ICR is done completely by computers, not by keyboarders as in the past. The images are sent through an automated data capture system that captures the handwritten answers and transforms them into computer-usable data.

Processing the data is a long and complex process. Its many steps — including several kinds of edits (clerical, subject matter, geographic), matching or unduplicating individual farms, adjusting for missing data, validating data by comparing them to several benchmarks, and providing estimates — have evolved into a sophisticated system that ensures high-quality data. The data that emerge at the other end are stored on a database and used to generate publications and users' custom requests.

28. What steps are taken to ensure that all agricultural operations are counted?

In 2006, Canadian farm operators and their farms will be enumerated using two main methods. In rural areas, enumerators will deliver a Census of Population questionnaire to every dwelling in their collection unit. This process is called list/leave. When a residence obviously includes a farm or an agricultural operation, or when they are able to determine whether anyone in the dwelling is a farm operator, they also leave a Census of Agriculture questionnaire. A similar question appears on the Census of Population questionnaire to identify respondents who are also farm operators but who may not have been contacted when the Census of Population questionnaires were delivered. The majority of Census of Agriculture respondents are found in list/leave areas.

In urban areas the agricultural questionnaires will be mailed out to farm households for the first time. A Census of Agriculture questionnaire will be mailed to some dwellings where, based on the previous census, it is believed that a farm operator lives.

Whether received by mail or by drop-off, respondents will be able to complete their questionnaires on paper or via the Internet. Follow-up will be conducted with those respondents who received questionnaires but did not return them.

In addition, the data processing sequence includes several safeguards that can find "missing" farms that were counted in 2001 but did not return a questionnaire in 2006 or, conversely, farms that did not exist in 2001 but have been identified on subsequent agriculture surveys since then.

29. When will the 2006 Census of Agriculture data be available to the public, and how can I keep track of releases?

Census of Agriculture Farm and Farm Operator Database May 16, 2007
Agriculture–Population Linkage Database (linked to data from the long Census of Population form filled out by 20% of households) Fall 2008
Analytical articles (Canadian Agriculture at a Glance) Fall 2007 to spring 2009

The first release will be on May 16, 2007 from the Census of Agriculture database. Interested data users can keep up-to-date on release dates by receiving Agriculture Division's People, products and services directory. This document provides details on the 2006 Census of Agriculture and related products and services, including pricing and ordering information. Copies are available by calling 1-800-236-1136.

Statistics Canada's official release bulletin, The Daily, lists the full range of census data with highlights on major trends and findings.

Data from both the Census of Population and Census of Agriculture will appear in the general media and farm media. Users may also contact Census of Agriculture User Services staff toll free at 1-800-236-1136.

30. Why does it take a year to release results from the Census of Agriculture?

The Census of Agriculture is a national activity that involves collecting information from every agricultural operation in Canada. The collection, follow-up, quality checks, processing, tabulation and publication of data from such an extensive operation take about one year.

All of these steps must be made to assure that data are accurate, even at very low levels of geography. This is critical since census data are used to benchmark estimates and draw survey samples between censuses.

31. For what geographic areas are Census of Agriculture data available?

Census of Agriculture data are available for Canada, the provinces and territories, and for areas corresponding to counties, crop districts and rural municipalities. User-defined areas are also available by calling Census of Agriculture User Services staff toll free at 1-800-236-1136. All tabulated data are subjected to confidentiality restrictions, and any data that could result in the disclosure of information concerning any particular individual or agricultural operation are suppressed.

32. How is the quality of the data evaluated?

To ensure that data from the 2006 Census are accurate, control procedures are set up throughout collection and processing. Processing the data is a long and complex process. Its many steps — including several kinds of edits (clerical, subject matter, geographic), matching or unduplicating individual farms, adjusting for missing data, validating data by comparing them to several other data sources, and providing estimates — have evolved into a sophisticated system that ensures high-quality data. The data that emerge at the other end are stored on a database and used to generate publications and users' custom requests.


1 CATI (computer-assisted telephone interview)