Improving Agricultural Statistics in the COMCEC Region

functionalities and online database capabilities, are also available. Presently, DS/HCP is in the

process of developing a database with online access to statistics.

Statistics on the agricultural sector are published annually by MAPM and HCP. The DS/MAPM

publishes information on plant production, livestock production, and prices paid to producers.

A new bi-monthly publication presenting an overview of the current situation of the sector

exists, although it is currently only available internally to the Ministry of Agriculture. The

DS/MAPM also publishes national and regional results for censuses.

Much of the statistical data on agriculture (crops, livestock, market prices, use of cereals, price

indices, and sectorial values added in the accounts and national aggregates) are published by

the DS/HCP in its various annual publications, including the Statistical Yearbook of Morocco,

and Morocco in Figures. The HCP also disseminates data on employment and unemployment

(including employment in agriculture and fisheries), statistical indices (including price indices

of agricultural products) and national accounts and quarterly accounts (including accounts

relating to agriculture).

Deadlines for publications are usually relatively short, and are right after the validation of

results. However, the timespan between the end of data collection and validation is often

uncertain. Publication of agricultural statistics does not follow a consistent and publicly-

known policy of dissemination. The results of surveys are sometimes disseminated as raw data

without analysis, comments and any methodological information. Punctuality and timeliness of

statistics on production are generally satisfactory. Apart for the forecast surveys of the 3 main

grain crops, the date for the dissemination of results is not announced and dissemination of

agricultural statistics does not follow a standard schedule.

Errors in data collection are not analysed and documented. In addition, due to the lack of staff,

checks in the field became uneven and unsystematic. This weakness is partly offset by the

extensive experience of surveyors working in field services. Significant efforts are being made

to reduce these errors, in particular by adopting the area sample, which allows for the closed

segment, comparing farmers' declarations on the areas to those measured in aerial

photographs. However, errors in other variables remain. The concepts do not change from one

survey to another, from one year to another and from one region to the next. Although

consistency and comparability is realized for the data produced by the Statistics Division of

MAPM, it is not necessarily realized between different institutions such as HCP and MICNT. In

publications, statistics are presented in tables and graphs and sometimes temporal

comparisons are provided. Methodological summaries are also provided in each publication.

Additional and specific results can be produced upon request. However, the methodological

aspects of statistical processes and the quality of statistical results are not produced, and very

few analyses are performed. No procedure exists for the provision of meta-data or micro-data.

MAPM, 2014c.

HCP, 2014c.