Page 173 - Special Topic Session (STS) - Volume 1

STS423 Ylva A.R. et al.

New tools for data collection in Swedish surveys
on use of fertilisers and animal manure and
cultivation measures in agriculture
Ylva Andrist Rangel, Daniel Eiserman, Lena Otterskog, Anna Redner
Statistics Sweden, Örebro, Sweden, *ylva.andrist-rangel@scb.se

Abstract
Technology is making rapid progress in agriculture, and the typical Swedish
farmer is more and more likely to have access to an array of different
technological tools, ranging from PCs, smartphones, tablets, GPS and farm
management software, to self-steering machinery etc. At the same time, many
statistical surveys are struggling with high costs of data collection, declining
response rates, and obligations to reduce the overall response burden.
Therefore, to meet the increased demand for high quality agri-environmental
statistics, smart and cost-effective strategies for data collection are essential.
The aim of the present paper is to show examples from recent advances in
data collection implemented in a number of agricultural surveys at Statistics
Sweden. The methods were developed for the two sample surveys Use of
fertilisers and animal manure and Cultivation measures in agriculture. An
overall project was initiated and consisted of three phases: 1) investigating
alternative data sources, 2) developing a new web system for data collection,
and 3) increasing survey coordination. Pilot studies showed that several of the
variables, previously obtained via data collection directly from farmers, could
be extracted from a combination of different administrative registers, a Land
Parcel Identification System, and from farm management software. A new web
system for data collection was launched in late 2016, developed by IT experts
in close collaboration with statisticians and agronomists at Statistics Sweden.
Several agricultural surveys are coordinated within the same system, and new
ones can easily be added as needed. A tool for data import of XML files from
farm management software was designed and incorporated into the web
system to make it easier for the farmer filling in the questionnaires. The system
has now been running for three years. The overall achievements include more
efficient data collection, lowered costs in the long term and decreased
response burden for the farmers.

Keywords
administrative registers; mixed-mode; farm management software; response
burden; LPIS

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