Agriculture Census forms part of a broader system of collection of Agricultural
Statistics. It is a large-scale statistical operation for the collection and
derivation of quantitative information about the structure of agriculture in the
country. An agricultural operational holding is the ultimate unit for taking
decision for development of Agriculture at micro level. It is for this reason
that an operational holding is taken as the statistical unit of data collection
for describing the structure of agriculture. Through Agriculture Census it is
endeavored to collect basic data on important aspects of agricultural economy
for all the operational holdings in the country. Aggregation of data is done at
various levels of administrative units.
Periodic Agriculture Censuses are important as these are the main source of
information on basic characteristics of operational holdings such as land use
and cropping patterns, irrigation status, tenancy particulars and the terms of
leasing. This information is tabulated by different size classes and social
groups including Scheduled Castes / Scheduled Tribes which are needed for
development planning, socio-economic policy formulation and establishment of
national priorities. The census also provides the basis for the development of a
comprehensive integrated national system of agricultural statistics and has
links with various components of the national statistical system. The whole
project of Agriculture Census in the country is implemented in three distinct
phases, which are statistically linked together but focus on different aspects
of agricultural statistics. In Phase-I, a list of holdings with their area and
social characteristics and gender of the holders is prepared. In Phase-II,
detailed data on agricultural characteristics of holdings are collected from
selected villages. Thus the whole operation of Agriculture Census in India is
not really a complete Census. In fact, it is a combination of Census and Sample
Survey.