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 of grains produced by agricultural producers within
a calendar year. It includes summer grain, early rice and autumn grain if
classified by harvest seasons; it covers cereal, tubers and beans if classified
by type of crops. Output of cereal should be limited to husked grain only. 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. 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 final output actually yielded from fishing production (fishery and
breeding), including all output of marine and freshwater fish, crustaceans (shrimps,
crabs), shellfish, cephalopod, seaweed and other fishery products. 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.
Before 1996, it was a comprehensive reporting from the lower level to the upper
one. 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 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. In 2007, the data on animal husbandry from 2000 to 2006 were revised
according to the results of the Second Agriculture Census of China. In 2008, A
Monitoring and Survey Program was set up on main livestock, the data on the
main livestock such as hog, cattle, sheep and poultry became the official data
based on the sampling survey.
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 all land (cultivated or non-cultivated area) sown or
transplanted with crops that are harvested within the calendar year by
agricultural producers. All crops harvested within the year are counted as sown
area, regardless of being sown in this year or the previous year. Crops sown
this year but will be harvested in the coming year are excluded.
Effective 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. It is an important indicator to reflect the farmland water conservancy
construction 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 the total rated capacity of
all agricultural machinery. Agricultural machinery refers to the machineries
and equipments which are used for activities of planting, animal husbandry, fishery, primary processing of agricultural products, agricultural
transport and infrastructure construction of farmland. Total power of
agricultural machinery is grouped into four parts according to the energy used:
Diesel engine power refers to the total rated
capacity of all diesel engines.
Gasoline engine power refers to the total rated
capacity of all gasoline engines.
Motor power refers to the total rated capacity of
all motors (include submersible pump motors).
Other mechanical powers refer to the total
mechanical capacity of the sources of energy besides diesel, gasoline and motor
power, such as hydro power, wind power, coal and solar energy.
Data are mainly from agricultural machinery
agencies.