Explanatory Notes on Main Statistical Indicators
Gross Output Value of
Farming, Forestry, Animal Husbandry and Fishery refers to the total value of products of farming,
forestry, animal husbandry and fishery, and total value of services rendered to
support farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery activities. It reflects
the total scale and results of agricultural production during a given period.
Prior to 1957, Chinas gross agricultural output value included barnyard manure
and handicraft products for self-consumption (clothes, shoes, stockings, and
initial grain processing undertaken by peasants). Since 1958, cutting and
felling of bamboo and trees by villages and other cooperative organizations
under villages have been included in forestry; value of barnyard manure has
been excluded from animal husbandry; self consumed handicrafts has been
excluded from sideline occupations, while the output value of industries run by
villages and cooperative organizations under village had been included in
sideline occupations and the output value of fish catches by motor fishing
boats has been added to fishery. Since 1980, the value of handicraft products
made for sale by individuals in households had been added to sideline
occupations. Since 1984, industries run by villages and under villages have
been included in the sector of industry. Since 1993, the subdivision of
sideline occupations has been canceled, and the hunting of wild animals has
been classified into animal husbandry, and the gathering of wild plants and
commodity industry run by rural household have been included in farming. A new
industrial classification of economic activities was introduced in 2003. Under
the new classification, value of services to farming, forestry, animal
husbandry and fishery is included in the gross output value of agriculture,
value of wood felling and transport is included in forestry, value of
industrial output by rural households is not included in agriculture, and the
collection of wild forest products is taken from agriculture and included in
the forestry. The first agriculture census of
Gross output value of
agriculture is obtained by first multiplying the output of each product or by
product by its price, resulting in the output value of each single item. For a
small number of products, annual output of which is not available or difficult
to get due to the long production (growing) process involved, the output value
is estimated through an indirect approach. The sum of output value of all
products of farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery is then equal to
the gross output value of agriculture.
Grain Output refers to the total output in the whole country
including grains produced by state farms, collective units, rural households,
as well as by farms affiliated to industrial and mining enterprises and other
production units. Grain includes rice, wheat, corn, sorghum, millet and other
miscellaneous grains as well as tubers and bean. Output of beans refers to dry
beans without pods. The output of tubers (sweet potatoes and potatoes, not
including taros and cassava) was converted into that of grain at the ratio 4:1,
i.e. 4 kilograms of fresh tubers was equivalent to 1 kilogram of grain up to
1963. Since 1964 the ratio for conversion has been 5:1. Tubers supplied as
vegetables (such as potatoes) in cities and suburbs are calculated as fresh
vegetables and their output is not included in the output of grain. Output of
all other grains refers to husked grain. Data on grain production before 1989
were obtained through Comprehensive Statistical Reporting System. Since 1989,
data from sample surveys are used.
Cotton Output refers to the cotton production in the whole
country including cotton sown in spring and in autumn. Output is measured as
the weight of ginned cotton. Ceiba is not included.
Output of Oil-bearing Crops refers to the total production of oil-bearing
crops of various kinds, including peanuts, (dry, in shell) rapeseeds, sesame,
sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and other oil-bearing crops. Soybeans, oil-bearing
woody plants, and wild oil-bearing crops are not included.
Output of Aquatic Products refers to catches of both artificially cultured
and naturally grown aquatic products, including fish, shrimps, crabs and
shellfish in sea and inland water as well as seaweed. Freshwater plants are not
included. Data on output of aquatic
products are reported by aquatic product and statistical agencies level by
level. Before 1995, among the shellfish, the oyster was counted as fresh meat;
5 kilograms of ark shell, clams and frogs are equivalent to 1 kilogram of fresh
aquatic products; they are all counted as fresh aquatic products since 1996.
Output of Pork, Beef,
and Mutton refers to the meat of slaughtered
hogs, cattle, sheep and goats with head, feet, and offal taken away. Data
refers to the production of the whole country. The first agriculture census of
Number of Livestock or
Poultry in Stock at Beginning (or End) refers to the total number of large animals, pigs,
sheep, fowls, etc. raised by rural cooperative organizations, state farms,
rural individuals, government agencies, schools, industrial and mining
enterprises, army, and urban residents at the beginning (or end) of the
reference period. Data reporting system and data adjustment are the same as
that in the output of pork, beef and mutton.
Regularly Cultivated
Land refers to farmland
among the total land resources, which is exclusively used for farming and is
under regular cultivation with harvest in normal years. Included are currently
cultivated land, land that has been abandoned or put in idle for less than 3
years and could be re-used for cultivation at any time, and new-claimed land
that has been put into cultivation for more than 3 years. According to
statistical coverage, it includes the gouges, dykes, roads and ridges of field
with 1 meter wide in Southern areas and 2 meters wide in Northern areas.
Excluded under this category are steep slope land over 25 degrees under
temporary cultivation, land (large or small plots) that is claimed along river
bends, lake sides or banks of reservoirs, as well as land that has been
designated under the “Green for Grain” programme of
the state and provincial governments but is still temporarily under
cultivation. The regularly cultivated land is the key protection land of the
nation, an important indicator reflecting the comprehensive productivity of
agriculture of
Sown Area of Crops refers to area of land sown or transplanted with
crops regardless of being in cultivated area or non-cultivated area. Area of
land re-sown due to natural disasters is also included. This is an important
indicator that can reflect the utilization condition of the cultivated land in
Irrigated Area refers to areas that are effectively irrigated,
i.e. level land, which has water source and complete sets of irrigation
facilities to lift and move adequate water for irrigation purpose under normal
conditions. Under normal conditions, irrigated area is the sum of watered
fields and irrigated fields where irrigation systems or equipment have been
installed for regular irrigation purpose. This important indicator reflects
drought resistance capacity of the cultivated land in
Consumption of Chemical
Fertilizers in Agriculture refers to the quantity of chemical fertilizers
applied in agriculture in the year, including nitrogenous fertilizer, phosphate
fertilizer, potash fertilizer, and compound fertilizer. The consumption of
chemical fertilizers is required in calculation to convert the gross weight
into weight containing 100% effective component (e.g. 100% nitrogen content in
nitrogenous fertilizer, 100% phosphorous pent oxide contents in phosphate
fertilizer, 100% potassium oxide contents in potash fertilizer). Compound
fertilizer is converted with its major component. The formula is :
Volume of effective
component= physical quantity x effective component of certain chemical fertilizer
(%)
Total Power of Farm
Machinery refers to total mechanical power
of machinery used in farming, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery,
including ploughing, irrigation and drainage,
harvesting, transport, plant protection, stock breeding, forestry and fishery.
The power of internal combustion engines is required to convert horsepower into
watts and the power of electric motors is required to be converted into watts.
Machinery employed for non-agricultural purposes, such as the machines used in
township run and village-run industry, construction, non-agricultural
transport, scientific experiments and teaching, is excluded. Data are mainly
from agricultural machinery agencies.
Rural Employed Persons
refer to rural labor forces aged over 16 years old who are engaged in
real production and management activities and receive payment in kind or wages,
including those covered within the age frame and regularly participating in
production activities, and those who are out of the range of age frame and also
participating in production activities regularly. Excluding students studying
in other places with their permanent residence registered in local areas,
servicemen and persons incapable of working; also excluding those who are
waiting for jobs and those engaged in household work. Persons employed are
classified as persons engaged in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry or
fishery activities; persons engaged in industrial activities; persons engaged
in construction activities; persons engaged in transport, storage and
telecommunications activities; persons engaged in whole sales and retail sales
trade and catering activities; and persons engaged in other non-agriculture
activities, depending upon the longest period of employment in major activities
(or using income indicator when period of employment is the same).