2003/04 agricultural production estimates survey results

The National Statistical Office (NSO) has continuously been conducting the Agricultural Production Estimates Survey since September 2003. The major objective of the survey is to provide estimates of both livestock and crop production at extension planning area level.

Results of crop production are presented in three rounds: first, farmers intentions on what crops they intend to grow in the forthcoming agricultural season and the hectarages of land they intend to cultivate are captured prior to garden activities. The results were presented in March 2004. The second round essentially verifies the farmers’ intentions as reported in the first round, and these were presented in April 2004. The third round involves weighing of harvested crops from sampled farmers and the results were ready by 20th June 2004.

The following is a summary of the results of the production of selected crops.

Table 1: Production of selected crops

The results of the survey show that production of most crops has decreased over the 2002/03 production levels largely due to unfavourable weather conditions. There is, however, notable increases in the production of root crops and cotton. It is also noted that the crop forecasts made in the first and second rounds, for example for maize, of 1.93 million mT and 1.73 million mT respectively were somewhat higher than the production estimated in the third round.

The results further indicate that there were about 764,000 herds of cattle in the country, 22 percent of which were enumerated in Mzuzu ADD. The cattle population enumerated this year is 2 percent lower that the cattle population in 2003. However, the goat population of about 1.9 million is 12 percent higher than what it was in 2003. The survey further show that there were around 10 million chickens in the country at the time the survey/census was conducted. This represents an increase of 12 percent.

Table 2: Livestock and poultry production by ADD: 2003/2004