Milk and milk products (apro_mk)

National Reference Metadata in ESS Standard for Milk statistics Quality Report Structure (esqrsmk)

Compiling agency: Central Statistics Office (Responsible for TABLES A, B, C, D to G, H and I)


Eurostat metadata
Reference metadata
1. Contact
2. Statistical presentation
3. Statistical processing
4. Quality management
5. Relevance
6. Accuracy and reliability
7. Timeliness and punctuality
8. Coherence and comparability
9. Accessibility and clarity
10. Cost and Burden
11. Confidentiality
12. Comment
Related Metadata
Annexes (including footnotes)
 



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1. Contact Top
1.1. Contact organisation

Central Statistics Office (Responsible for TABLES A, B, C, D to G, H and I)
1.2. Contact organisation unit

Central Statistics Office (Responsible for TABLES A, B, C, D to G, H and I): Agriculture Division
1.5. Contact mail address

Central Statistics Office (Responsible for TABLES A, B, C, D to G, H and I): Skehard Road, Mahon, Cork, Republic of Ireland.


2. Statistical presentation Top

We continued to implement the methodology that was devised last year when we engaged with an external dairy consultant.
2.1. Data description

Milk and milk product statistics are collected under Decision 97/80/EC implementing Directive 96/16/EC. They cover milk collected (cow's milk) and products obtained by dairies (monthly, table A), annual production and utilization of milk (all milk) in dairies (annual, tables B and H), statistics on the structure of dairies (every third year, tables D, E, F, G1, G2, G3, G4, G5) and annual production and utilization of milk (all milk) on farms (tables C and I). An annual methodological report is also collected.

European Economic Area countries (EEA, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) are requested to provide milk statistics, with the exception of those related to home consumption, as stated in Annex XXI of the EEA Agreement.

The Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on cooperation in the field of statistics states that Switzerland must provide Eurostat with national milk statistics. It has been amended in 2013 for covering also some livestock and meat statistics.

The same statistics are requested from the candidate countries as acquis communautaire.
2.2. Classification system

The list of items and their definition are from the Decision 97/80/EC : Annex I list of milk products and explanatory notes, Annex II list of tables and explanatory notes.

Regional data: The territorial classification of regional data is broken down according to the NUTS classification for Member States.
2.3. Coverage - sector

Statistics on farm production and utilization of milk on farms cover agricultural holdings in Member States.

Milk statistics in Dairies cover EU plants whose activity is milk collection and milk product production. The sample surveys must cover exhaustively dairies representing 95 % of the cows’ milk collected by Member States, the balance being represented by sampling or other sources.
2.4. Statistical concepts and definitions

Milk statistics (annual) in Dairies are led by the concept of ‘national dairy’, i.e. the dairy sector is considered as a single process, which internal flows are not (intended to be) taken into account.

Use of raw milk is followed through production of its two main components, fat and protein content. Milk processed is thus accounted for as an aggregate of UWM (utilized whole milk, with the full content of fat and proteins) and USM (utilized skimmed milk, with the full content of proteins, without fat). As a process can produce skimmed milk further to the main (fat) product and, in such a case, USM can be negative. This is especially the case for cream and butter production.

 

Regional data

Region means a sub-division of a Member State territory. 'Region' refers to NUTS 2 for milk production (farms), the NUTS reference being the version applicable on the date of data transmission.


TABLES B and H (Dairy annual data)

Further information (Referring to the part 3 of the milk questionnaire)

Part A) AVAILABLE RESOURCES  
A.1 Imports of milk, cream and other milk products  
Are there purchases of raw milk by dairies from approved purchasers located in another country?  Yes
If Yes, are these purchases entered on the accounts with imports? (Table B, column B)  Yes
If you use data from external trade statistics, explain how you separate imports for the dairy industry from other imports. 

CN codes and factors as supplied for the compilation of the Milk Supply Balance are used to separate and adjust CSO external trade data.
How do you deal with deliveries of intermediate products from a plant in one country to another plant in a different country but belonging to the same enterprise?  They are included in the external trade data
If Other, specify: 

 

Part B) USE (manufactured products)  
B.1 Main products (column 1 in the table B)  
Are there any links between the milk statistics surveys and the Prodcom surveys? (Council Regulation EEC N° 3924/94 of 19 December 1991 on the establishment of a Community survey of industrial production OJ L374, 31.12.1991, p.1.) Yes
If yes, are both surveys managed by the same body?  Yes
B.2 Double counting  
B.2.1 In dairies  
To avoid double counting, on which variables does the survey focus?  On processed products (DELIVERY of production)
Comments 
B.2.2 Cheese – processed cheese  
Do you conduct a specific survey covering the raw materials used to make processed cheese? (cheese, butter, cream, other milk products)  No
Are these raw materials deducted from or included in the data in column 1 of Table B? 
B.4 Calculation of fat inputs  
How are the fat inputs in Table B calculated?  as INPUT (i.e. on the basis of the raw materials used in manufacturing)
as OUTPUT (i.e. on the basis of the finished product)
Certain States may use both methods (self-monitoring): specify 
B.5 Proteins (Table H)  
What is your method of measuring or estimating proteins?  as INPUT (i.e. on the basis of the raw materials used in manufacturing)
as OUTPUT (i.e. on the basis of the finished product)
Any explanations 


TABLE C (Farms annual data)

Collecting the basic information (Referring to the part 2 of the milk questionnaire)

B) Agricultural holdings (farms)  
B.6 Cows' milk  
Excluding milk directly suckled by calves, is all the milk from milking (including colostrum) that is used as animal feed (in buckets or by other means) included in the sum of available milk?  Yes
2.5. Statistical unit

Dairy enterprises -- undertakings of two types:

• Collection centres collect milk or cream and transfer it in whole or in part to other enterprises without any processing. They are often defined as referred to in Article 2(2) of Council Directive 96/16/EC.

• Dairies and agricultural holdings purchase milk or milk products from agricultural holdings or collection centres with a view to transforming them into milk products. They are often defined as referred to in Article 2(1) of Council Directive 96/16/EC.

Some enterprises process milk products obtained from a dairy as defined above, e.g. skimmed milk into milk powder or yogurt, and may appear to be excluded from the definition of dairy enterprises. Nevertheless, non-packed intermediate products are considered as raw products and such dairies are therefore covered as statistical units for the purpose of some statistics, whatever the enterprise supplying them.

 

Agricultural holdings are the statistical units for milk production and its use on farm within the meaning of Article 2(a) of Regulation (EC) N°1166/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
2.6. Statistical population

The statistical population is the framework of the statistical units in the reference Member State or country for the reference period. All agricultural holdings producing milk and all dairies in the Member State.

Nevertheless, data collection may be organized in a different way by a respondent other than the statistical unit. For instance, milk delivered by farms to dairies (table C) is accounted for by both units, and can be obtained more easily from dairies, of which there are fewer.
2.7. Reference area

The entire territory of the country. The reference area is the territory of the Member States as defined by Decision 91/450/EEC1 For non-EU countries, territory follows the definition agreed bi-laterally with Eurostat.


1 Commission Decision of 26 July 1991 defining the territory of Member States for the purposes of implementing Article 1 of Council Directive 89/130/EEC, Euratom on the harmonization of the compilation of gross national product at market prices. OJ L 240, 29.8.1991, pp. 36-40.
2.8. Coverage - Time

Data are presented in chronological series for each country and for the EU. The period covered varies according to the country, depending on the date of accession to the EU. They are available at least for the EU Member States, depending on the date they became members of the EEC or EU, from legislation to repeal of the legal text and insofar as Member States comply with legislation.

Milk statistics are available, at least partly, since reference years 1960 for the countries that were Member States at this time.

Further time periods may be available if collected on a volunteer basis, especially, data collected under a gentlemen’s agreement, data collected for accessing and acceding countries, and data collected under other specific agreements.
2.9. Base period

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)


3. Statistical processing Top
3.1. Source data

TABLE A (Dairy monthly data), TABLES B and H (Dairy annual data)

Collecting the basic information (Referring to the part 2 of the milk questionnaire)

A) From Dairies  
A.1 General characteristics  
Number of dairy companies present on the 1 January (reference year) (excluding centres or companies which only collect) 

32
Number of collection centres or companies (as defined in Article 2 (2) of Directive 96/16/EC) 

0
A.2 Origin of the listing (of survey units) used for monthly and annual surveys (Tables A and B)  
What is the origin of the listing used?  Listing compiled for milk surveys
Other
If Other, specify sources 

Department of Agriculture,Food and Marine (Ireland's Agriculture Ministry)
A.3 How often is the listing updated? (Tables A and B)  
Do you update the listing used  Continuous
A.4 Monthly questionnaires (Dairies: Table A)  
Number of survey units concerned 

32
Proportion of statistical population surveyed by this sample (%) 

100
Do you use supplementary sources of information?  Yes
If Yes, which? 

To cross-reference returns against administrative sources in the Departrment of Agriculture & Ornua (formerly Irish Dairy Board). Any discrepancies are followed up with the company concerned. We have also continued to utilise the subject matter expertise of the milk consultant that we engaged with in 2018.
A.5 Annual questionnaires (Dairies: Tables B and H) 
Number of survey units concerned 

The annual survey is exhaustive.
Do you use supplementary sources of information?  Yes
If Yes, which? 

To cross-reference returns against administrative sources in the Departrment  of Agriculture & Ornua. Any discrepancies followed up with the company concerned. We have also continued to utilise the subject matter expertise of the milk consultant that we engaged with in 2019.


TABLES B and H (Dairy annual data)

Further information (Referring to the part 3 of the milk questionnaire)

Part A) AVAILABLE RESOURCES  
A.1 Imports of milk, cream and other milk products  
Do you use the data obtained directly from dairies to record cross-border trade?  Yes
If Yes  From the monthly questionnaire
If Other sources, specify 
Do you use the data from external trade statistics?  Yes

 

Part B) USE (manufactured products)  
B.4 Calculation of fat inputs  
Do you use data from dairies as a source of information?  Yes
If not, what source of information is used? 


TABLES C and I (Farms annual data)

Collecting the basic information (Referring to the part 2 of the milk questionnaire)

B) Agricultural holdings (Farms)  
Number of agricultural holdings (farms) concerned on the 1 January (reference year) 

NA
B.1 Existence of a regular survey of the production and use of milk on the farm (Table C)  
Is there a regular survey of the production and use of milk on the farm?  No
B.4 In case of a regular survey of the production and use of milk on the farm, use of supplementary sources of information (Table C)  
Do you use supplementary sources of information?  No
If Yes, which? 
B.6 Regional data - Evaluation of regional production (Table I)  
Do data exist at source?  No
Are data calculated a postériori? 
If the data are calculated, which is the method used?  Survey of the structure of agricultural holdings (Commission Regulation (EC) No 143/2002)
If Other, specify 
3.2. Frequency of data collection

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
3.3. Data collection

General (Referring to the part 1 of the milk questionnaire)

Does any other body play a part in compiling milk statistics?  Yes
If yes, give the name and details of the body. 

Ornua, Grattan House Mount Street Lower Dublin 2.

Department of Agriculture,Food and Marine, Agriculture House Kildare Street Dublin 2

National Milk Agency,Holly Park Studio, Holly Park Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin


TABLE A (Dairy monthly data), TABLES B and H (Dairy annual data)

Collecting the basic information (Referring to the part 2 of the milk questionnaire)

A) From Dairies  
A.4 Monthly questionnaires (Dairies: Table A)  
Survey method  By telephone
By e-mail
If Other, specify means 
A.5 Annual questionnaires (Dairies: Tables B and H)  
Survey method  By telephone
By e-mail
If Other, specify mean


TABLE C (Farms annual data)

Collecting the basic information (Referring to the part 2 of the milk questionnaire)

B) Agricultural holdings (Farms)  
B.2 If there is a regular survey of the production and use of milk on the farm, detail procedures.  
Survey method 
If Other, specify means 
Description of survey methodology 
3.4. Data validation

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
3.5. Data compilation

TABLES B and H (Dairy annual data)

Further information (Referring to the part 3 of the milk questionnaire)

Part B) USE (manufactured products) 

B.3 Calculation of whole/skimmed milk inputs 

How are the milk inputs in Table B calculated for the following products?
11-12 liquid milk and buttermilk Direct survey
13 creams Use of technical coefficients
14-15-16 other fresh products (acidified milks, milk-based drinks, jellied milks, etc.) Use of technical coefficients
21 concentrated milk Use of technical coefficients
22 powder products Use of technical coefficients
23 Total butter and other yellow fat products Use of technical coefficients
24 cheeses Use of technical coefficients
2411 cows’ milk cheeses Use of technical coefficients
25 processed cheeses Use of technical coefficients
27 whey Use of technical coefficients


TABLE C (Farms annual data)

Collecting the basic information (Referring to the part 2 of the milk questionnaire)

B) Agricultural holdings (Farms) 
B.5 If there is not a regular survey of the production and use of milk on the farm 
Explain and detail the method used to calculate or estimate the annual production and use of milk on the farm:

Number of dairy farms per CSO Census of Agriculture is multiplied by an estimate of the average quantity of milk used on the farm. A reduction factor is applied to the result of this calculation to take into account the declining number of dairy farms in the inter-censal year.
3.6. Adjustment

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)


4. Quality management Top
4.1. Quality assurance

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
4.2. Quality management - assessment

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)


5. Relevance Top
5.1. Relevance - User Needs

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
5.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
5.3. Completeness

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
5.3.1. Data completeness - rate

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)


6. Accuracy and reliability Top
6.1. Accuracy - overall

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.2. Sampling error

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.2.1. Sampling error - indicators

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.3. Non-sampling error

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.3.1. Coverage error

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.3.1.2. Common units - proportion

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.3.2. Measurement error

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.3.3. Non response error

TABLE A (Dairy monthly data), TABLES B and H (Dairy annual data)

Collecting the basic information (Referring to the part 2 of the milk questionnaire)

A) From Dairies 
A.4 Monthly questionnaires (Dairies: Table A) 
Usual response rate (%)

100
Which method do you use to estimate data for non-respondents?

Estimates based on administrative sources, and previous years returns.
A.5 Annual questionnaires (Dairies: Tables B and  H) 
Usual response rate (%)

95.8%

 
Which method do you use to estimate data for non-respondents?

Estimates based on administrative sources, and previous years returns.


TABLE C (Farms annual data)

Collecting the basic information (Referring to the part 2 of the milk questionnaire)

B) Agricultural holdings (Farms) 
B.2 If there is a regular survey of the production and use of milk on the farm, detail procedures.  
Usual response rate (%)
B.3 In case of a regular survey of the production and use of milk on the farm, method used to estimate the quantities produced and used by non-respondents 
What method do you use to estimate the quantities of milk produced and used on the farm by non-respondents?


Unit non-response - rate

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)


Item non-response - rate

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.3.4. Processing error

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.3.4.1. Imputation - rate

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.3.5. Model assumption error

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.4. Seasonal adjustment

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.5. Data revision - policy

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.6. Data revision - practice

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
6.6.1. Data revision - average size

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)


7. Timeliness and punctuality Top
7.1. Timeliness

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
7.1.1. Time lag - first result

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
7.1.2. Time lag - final result

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
7.2. Punctuality

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
7.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)


8. Coherence and comparability Top
8.1. Comparability - geographical

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
8.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
8.2. Comparability - over time

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
8.2.1. Length of comparable time series

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
8.3. Coherence - cross domain

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
8.4. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
8.5. Coherence - National Accounts

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
8.6. Coherence - internal

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)


9. Accessibility and clarity Top
9.1. Dissemination format - News release

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
9.2. Dissemination format - Publications

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
9.3. Dissemination format - online database

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
9.3.1. Data tables - consultations

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
9.4. Dissemination format - microdata access

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
9.5. Dissemination format - other

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
9.6. Documentation on methodology

The Member States shall send the Commission the methodological questionnaire set out in Annex II, duly completed, at the same time as table B.
9.7. Quality management - documentation

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
9.7.1. Metadata completeness - rate

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
9.7.2. Metadata - consultations

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)


10. Cost and Burden Top

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)


11. Confidentiality Top
11.1. Confidentiality - policy

Information not collected in line with the Decision 97/80/EC (ANNEX III)
11.2. Confidentiality - data treatment

General (Referring to the part 1 of the milk questionnaire)

Question on the confidentiality of the data transmitted

Do you have problems with data confidentiality? Yes
If yes, can you describe them? 

Some products have very few producers thus leading to situations where one producer may be responsible for the production of the vast majority of a particular product. This is monitored on monthly basis to ensure one  company does not account for more than 60% of a return or two companies do not account for more than 80%. If this occurs this value is marked confidential. When these are aggregated to the size classed used in the Tables D-G5 this problem becomes more difficult.


12. Comment Top

There are no significant changes to Irish milk statistics methodology. Imports of milk to Ireland from the UK are now classified as extra-EU imports rather than intra-EU imports.


Related metadata Top


Annexes Top
Milk Survey Questionnaire