Improving Agricultural Statistics in the COMCEC Region

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producing rubber production for smallholders only.

Finally, Department of Statistics

Malaysia is in charge of the methodologies, standards, classifications and international

representation for statistics in general. It is also responsible for the coordination and

harmonization of production statistics in Malaysia. Furthermore, DOSM produces the

agricultural GDP; annual/monthly rubber statistics; supply utilization accounts on agriculture

trade; consumer price index on food items; producer price index on agriculture, agricultural

labour force, and agricultural census for crops, livestock, fisheries and agriculture services; and

economic census for crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry and logging.

Integration and Coordination of Agricultural Statistics:

Many institutions and agencies

implement surveys and censuses to produce agricultural statistics according to their

respective mandates. Considering its primary role as the coordinating agency for statistical

activities in Malaysia, DOSM is often unaware of other organizations’ activities in the collection

of data, compilation, analysis and dissemination of agricultural statistics. However, a functional

mechanism exists to establish coordination amongst various agencies involved in the

production of agricultural statistics. The communication between the institutions takes place

during periodic conferences hosted by data producing agencies, and in working groups that

arrange common work plan planning to share responsibilities for outputs, and in technical

teams for the purpose of technical issues. Although communication is effective, it is not at the

desired level and can be improved.

The responsibility within the agencies producing agricultural statistics is divided between the

Division of Statistics at headquarters and in the state offices. The headquarters is responsible

for designing, controlling, editing, analysing and publishing the agricultural statistics, while

state offices carry out the data collection activities under the guidance from headquarters.

There is also a strategic framework for the development of statistics and this is stated in a

Corporate Strategic Plan (DOS). The plan is operational and covers the period from 2010 to

2014, in which the programme of work for the sub-sectors pertinent to crop statistics,

livestock statistics, forestry and environment statistics, and aquaculture and fishery statistics

are included.

The country also has a specific national strategy for agricultural statistics, and

this is integrated into the National Strategies for Development of Statistics (NSDS).

MRRD, 2014.

DOSM, 2014a.

DOSM, 2014b.