(5) Problems Facing in Agricultural Statistics
Agricultural statistics and information will play increasingly important roles in agricultural sector development. Accuracy and timeliness of data are quite important for MOAI in order to maintain the efficiency and quality of government services. However, present situation of agricultural statistics is quite unsatisfactory from the users’ point of view. Utilization of agricultural statistics and agricultural sector information is no longer confined to the governmental sector and their use has expanded and has become a stimulus for growth of the private sector with the shift of government policies to diversify agriculture from subsistence level farming to a more profitable business venture. Statistical data officially published by MOAI is limited in terms of their scope and quantity. Present mechanism and procedure of data collection does not assure high degree of data accuracy, reliability and timeliness. Data analyses for forecasting and other purposes to serve policies are not sufficient. These problems originate from the following constraints to the statistical organization and its activities:
• Agricultural statistics in Myanmar are under the responsibility of three different line Ministries. Each ministry has its own statistical unit to serve its own needs either through the survey method or as a byproduct of administration.
• Myanmar still relied mostly on the administrative reporting system which is combined with some kind of measurement as the major source of information. The data collection is a very large operation and as a result field procedures are not always strictly followed and control over field work is difficult to maintain.
• Data are not widely disseminated and few statistical publications are issued.
• Crop forecasting procedures are inadequate.
• The whole land records system and its associated registers are still manual operations.
• Manpower is insufficient for all levels of the statistical organization, particularly for field-level data collection. Basic understanding, quality-control practice and techniques concerning statistics need to be upgraded for the staffs in the ministry, province and field levels.
• Transportation and communication infrastructure is still very week. Access to villages and fields are not quite easy for district officers. Data reporting is often delayed by poor communication conditions.