Improving Agricultural Statistics in the COMCEC Region

Institutional Set up

Statistical Council:

The Statistical Council was established to provide advice on the

preparation and implementation of the programme, the development and functions of the

official statistics; to determine and assess the areas in which official statistics are needed, and

to provide opinions and suggestions for future needs. The President and Vice-Presidents of the

Turkish Statistical Institute are members of the Council. The President of TurkStat is also the

chair of the Council. The secretarial services of the Council are carried out by TurkStat. The

Council meets at least once a year. At the request of the Council, representatives from other

institutions, NGOs, and authorities from the Presidency may be invited to Council meetings

without voting rights. Two main institutions play a significant role in the agricultural statistical

system of Turkey. TurkStat, with its 26 regional offices, is responsible for data processing,

evaluation, publication and dissemination of agricultural statistics. The Ministry of Food,

Agriculture and Livestock, is responsible from annual data collection for crop and animal

production statistics and monthly agricultural price statistics. These are performed by the

Province and District Directorates of MFAL. MFAL has 81 Provincial and 859 District Offices in

Turkey.

According to Official Statistics Programme, forestry statistics are under the

responsibility of General Directory of Forestry (GDF) of Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs.

The ministry collects data from their branch offices and conducts the analyses together with

TurkStat, which are then disseminated on the GDF webpage and made available in hardcopies

as well.

Integration and Coordination of Agricultural Statistics

Pursuant to the tasks assigned in the Turkish Statistical Law No. 5429 and the Official

Statistical Programme, TurkStat is responsible for coordinating the official statistics, data

processing and evaluation, publication and dissemination of agricultural statistics. The main

responsible unit in TurkStat is the Agriculture Statistics Department. This unit collects data on

the agriculture sector, evaluates and analyses this data, undertakes agricultural surveys and

censuses, calculates the indicators for agricultural balance sheets, and agricultural economic

accounts. The Official Statistics Programme establishes the framework for official statistics

that are produced on subjects required at the national and international levels. Censuses and

surveys are carried out within the framework of this programme.

There is a good cooperation between MFAL and TurkStat. Two protocols exist to facilitate the

collection of agricultural data. These were drawn as follows:



In 2011, to improve the data collection systems through means of high technologies

and remote sensing.



In 2013, to establish a farming (agricultural holding) register system, establish an

Agricultural Information System (AIS) and produce statistics from AIS.

TurkStat, 2014a.