Agriculture Census

The Agriculture Census Scheme in India is a comprehensive statistical initiative aimed at collecting data on the structure and distribution of agricultural holdings across the country. It is conducted every five years by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, primarily through the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES).

How is the census conducted-

• The census is conducted in three phases, each lasting one year.
• In states with comprehensive land records, data is collected by re-tabulating information from village land records.
• In other states, data is collected by randomly selecting households.
• In the second phase, data is collected from 20% of villages on the characteristics of operational holdings.
• In the third phase, data is collected from 7% of villages on how operational holdings use inputs.

Beneficiary:

Any operational landholding, meaning the individual or family that owns and cultivates a piece of agricultural land.

Benefits:

It provides information on the number, area, land use, irrigation, tenancy, and cropping pattern of operational holdings.