Agricultural survey goes digital

Statistics Minister Craig Foss says the Agricultural Production Survey is going digital for the first time, saving farmers and growers time, while still providing important information on the country’s biggest industry.

The annual survey, which asks 30,000 people about their agricultural and forestry production businesses, will be available online next month after more than 80 years of paper-based surveys.

“Delivering better online services is a key focus of the Government’s Better Public Services programme,” Mr Foss says.

“Now anyone completing this survey can do so at a time and place that suits them.

“This is incredibly important information — from the number of sheep, dairy cattle and other livestock nationwide, to how much land is planted in forestry.

“Agriculture is New Zealand’s largest industry and earns more than half the country’s total export income. It’s important to run a regular survey to identify any changes in the agriculture sector, but it’s also important to make the survey as easy as possible.”

Mr Foss says over time the online approach will also reduce processing costs.

The Agricultural Production Survey is run jointly by the Ministry of Primary Industries and Statistics New Zealand.