Explanatory Notes on Main Statistical Indicators
Gross Output Value of Agriculture,
Forestry, Animal Husbandry and Fishery refers to the total value of
products of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery, and total
value of services in support of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and
fishery activities. It reflects the total scale and results of agricultural
production during a given period. Prior to 1957,
Gross
output value of agriculture is obtained by 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 values of all products of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and
fishery and services in support to those industries 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 beans.
Output of beans refers to dry beans without pods. The output of tubers (sweet
potatoes and potatoes, not including taros and cassava) are converted into that
of grain at the ratio 4:1, i.e. 4 kilograms of fresh tubers were 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 the Comprehensive Statistical
Reporting System. Since 1989, data from sample surveys are used.
Cotton Output refers to cotton production in
the whole country including cotton planted 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, oyster
was counted as fresh meat; 5 kilograms of ark shell, clams and frogs are
equivalent to 1 kilogram of fresh aquatic products; they have all been 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 Agricultural Census of
China in 1996 revealed some discrepancy between the production of animal
products from the annual reports and that from the census. Efforts were made by
the Rural Survey Organization of the NBS to adjust the output value of animal
husbandry to make the figures from the annual reports consistent with the
census data. Since 1999, the NBS conducted sample surveys for the major animal
husbandry products, such as hogs, cattle, sheep and goats and fowls, and the
data from sample surveys are used as national finalized data. Those products,
which are not covered by the sample survey, are still reported by statistical
agencies level by level.
Number of Livestock or Poultry in
Stock at Beginning (or End) of Period 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.
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 area of land that are
effectively irrigated, i.e. relatively level land, where there are water
sources or complete sets of irrigation facilities to lift and move adequate
water for irrigation purpose under normal conditions. Under normal situations,
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 calculated in terms of volume of
effective components by means of converting the gross weight of the respective
fertilizers into weight containing effective component (e.g. nitrogen content
in nitrogenous fertilizer, phosphorous pentoxide
contents in phosphate fertilizer, and potassium oxide contents in potash
fertilizer). Compound fertilizer is converted in regard to its major
components. The formula is:
Volume
of effective component= physical quantity× effective component of certain
chemical fertilizer (%)
Total Power of Agricultural Machinery refers to total mechanical power
of machinery used in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery,
including machinery for ploughing, irrigation and
drainage, harvesting, transport, plant protection, animal husbandry, forestry
and fishery and other agricultural machineries. (For the power of internal
combustion engines, it is converted from its horsepower into watts while for
electric motors the output power is 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, are not included. Data are mainly from agricultural
machinery agencies.