CENSUS
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Executive Summary
The mission of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development (MAFFSRD), is to “sustain a diversified national income database from Agriculture and Fisheries and enhance the integrity of rural livelihood systems: by generating the capacity for efficiency and the competitive production and marketing of respective goods and services”. To fulfill its mission, MAFFSRD needs sound and accurate data in the agricultural sector. Despite recognizing the importance of data and statistics, the Ministry remains challenged in its capacity to produce the minimum set of core data required by the stakeholders.
In its quest to improve the availability of data and statistics in the agricultural sector, the MAFFSRD has decided to conduct a new Census of Agriculture and Fisheries (CAF) in Saint Lucia in 2024, i.e. 17 years after the last CAF. The new CAF will not only provide a snapshot of agriculture and fisheries but it will also give a great opportunity to identify trends and structural changes in the sector in Saint Lucia. It will also be a valuable source of data for the Government and the private sector of the country to develop and monitor food and nutrition security policies and investments in the agricultural sector. The CAF will provide key information for understanding the dynamics of possible future developments of the country, such as: agricultural area operated, farm management methods, characteristics of holders and farm managers, farm workforce etc. Comprehensive information on fisheries activities developed at farm level will be collected as well.
The census will serve as the starting point to establish an integrated agricultural statistics system that will also include regular agricultural sample surveys, administrative data and other sources. All farms and fishers operating in Saint Lucia will be called on to participate in the CAF, which offers a great opportunity to update the farm registries and the sampling frame for future farm-based surveys.
The entire census operation will be carried out according to the provisions of the Legislative Frame in Saint Lucia, and in line with the FAO recommendations for the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2020 (WCA 2020). Key innovations will be introduced in the data collection process of the forthcoming CAF, as compared with the 2007 CAF. In particular, data will be collected by Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) mode. The innovations will help to reduce significantly the response burdens for citizens, but also to reduce the general census costs, due to better monitoring system during data collection, faster data editing process, and shorter time allotted for data processing.
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1. The data to be collected in this census will serve as important bases of policies, plans, and programs for socio-economic development, in not only agriculture and fisheries, but importantly the country as a whole.
2. The accuracy of the data / information provided by our farmers and fisherfolks will greatly influence the integrity of the sectoral framework for data-driven, evidence-based, actionable and equitable policies and development imperatives.
3. Good data on who is doing what? where? when? why? and how? will help to build resilience to climate change and give farmers and fisher folks a voice in the decisions that will shape the future of Saint Lucian agriculture and fisheries development
1. Everyone who participates will be included in an up-to-date register of farmers and fishers which will assist with better planning and delivery of services and resources for the sustainability of rural livelihoods.
2. With accurate data and information, the production and harvest of agricultural production and fisheries products can be better linked to markets and opportunities for increased income.
3. he responsibility is that of the farmers and fishers to provide the right information for evidence-based policy and action.
4. The successful implementation of the 2024 Saint Lucia Census of Agriculture and Fisheries is our collective responsibility
– Let’s do it!
5. Agriculture remains the bedrock of the St. Lucian economy and the health, as well as the wealth of the nation, hinges on viability of healthy, sustainable and inclusive food systems.
- All individual data and information collected will remain secure and confidential. Only aggregate information will be supplied to stakeholders.
- An integrated agriculture and fisheries statistics system and ultimately a sectoral knowledge management system for productivity enhancement along the value chain.
- The Census Office within the Corporate Planning Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development was established in May 2024 and the SLUCAF2024 was launched in July 2024.
- The Pilot Census Training and enumeration will be conducted during the week of October 14, 2024.
o Enumerators, who will all take the oath of secrecy, and shall be bearing SLUCAF2024 identification card will visit all agriculture and fisheries households to administer the computer assisted personal interviews (CAPI) – census questionnaire / instrument.
The full census enumeration is scheduled for January – March