Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
For more information, you can consult the Eurostat glossary page on the standard output
3.2. Classification system
Data collected include information on the number of harvests, value, quantity and unit price corresponding to the standard output coefficients of a list of products, broken down by FADN region for each country (reference area). Such values are expressed in euro (and in national currency for countries out of euro area).
The list of products is based on the classifications of crop and livestock variables available in Annex III of Regulation (EU) 2018/1091.
The FADN regions refer to the Farm Accountancy Data Network divisions that are territories of a Member State, or any part thereof, delimited with a view to the selection of returning holdings. See Council Regulation (EC) No 1217/2009 for more information.
The standard output coefficients are used to calculate the standard output of agricultural holdings and to classify agricultural holdings by type of farming and by economic size.The farm type is determined by the relative contribution of the different productions to the total standard output of the holding.
In the SOC2020 we used the same FADN region code as the previous data collections.
The standard output coefficient of an agricultural product (crop or livestock), abbreviated as SOC, is the average monetary value of the agricultural output at farm-gate price, in euro per hectare or per head of livestock.
Other concepts and definitions are presented in the Typology handbook (RI/CC 1500 rev 5) prepared by the Committee for the Farm Accountancy Data Network.
Standard Output Coefficients (SOC) are collected under the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), by FADN regions in each country. FADN regions are mapped with NUTS regions. For more information on NUTS regions, see the NUTS classification.
3.8. Coverage - Time
The SO 2004 was calculated using the average of 2003, 2004 and 2005 prices. It is applied in 2007 Farm structure survey data and has been applied to 2005 Farm structure survey to allow comparability over the time periods.
The SO 2007 was calculated using the average of 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 prices. It is applied in the 2010 Farm structure survey data.
The SO 2010 was calculated using the average of 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 prices. It is applied in the 2013 Farm structure survey data.
The SO 2013 was calculated using the average of 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 prices. It is applied in the 2016 Farm structure survey data.
The SO 2017 was calculated using the average of 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 prices. It is applied in the 2020 Farm structure survey data.
The SO 2020 was calculated using the average of 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 prices. It is applied in the 2023 Farm structure survey data.
3.9. Base period
Not requested for this reference year.
Units of measure utilised in the SOC data set are listed in the data transmission file to Eurostat by product. In general terms the used ones are EUR/100HEAD, EUR/100M2, EUR/HA, EUR/HEAD, EUR/HIVE.
Article 4 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1198/2014 states on the reference period for the standard output: “For the purposes of calculating standard outputs for the Union farm structure survey for year N, as referred to in Article 5b(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1217/2009, the reference period consists of the five successive years from year N-5 to year N-1. The standard outputs shall be determined using average basic data calculated over the reference period laid down in the first paragraph and commonly referred to as ‘N-3 standard outputs’. These N-3 standard outputs shall be updated to take account of economic trends at least each time a Union farm structure survey is carried out.”
For IFS 2023 this means that the Standard Output Coefficients required will be those calculated on the period of 5 years that spans from 2018 to 2022 (SOC2020)
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Formal authorization (letter) from Italian Ministry of agriculture, forestry and fishery policies that assign the authority to INEA/CREA for the collection, processing, and dissemination of Standard output coefficients.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not requested for this reference year.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
According to EU regulations and typology handbook, data related to SO coefficients are collected, managed, and disseminated at aggregated level (FADN) for cultivations and livestock.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
As coefficients are calculated at regional level no particular data treatment is applied. Data sources utilized for calculations provide in most of cases data already aggregated, in case of data collected by FADN, data are anonymous and aggregated in order to obtain yields or prices at level of region, cultivation or single breeding.
8.1. Release calendar
Usually, once validated from Eurostat, standard output coefficients are published in tables on the Italian FADN website
8.2. Release calendar access
Not requested for this reference year.
8.3. Release policy - user access
SOC data are published on Italian FADN website in a dedicated page/space. There is not a pre-defined calendar for this publication, it depends on the process of validation of coefficients.
SOC data are published on Eurobase under the “Additional data - Eurostat (europa.eu)” page on Agriculture statistics. The publication of the data normally takes place within N+1 year after the deadline for the data transmission. Nevertheless updates of the data can occur, triggered by DG Agri and Eurostat revision and post-validation checks
Data are accessible, On-line data tables
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Yes, but not on regular basis
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
News on CREA web site
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Yes
10.3.1. Data tables - consultations
Consultations are available on CREA-FADN website
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Not applicable
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Eurobase tables
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
It is not a part from the Eurobase metadata, neverthless CREA is working on plubishable metadata to put on FADN website.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
SOC2020 metadata
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
Not requested for this reference year.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Not requested for this reference year.
11.1. Quality assurance
In order to ensure the quality of information provided, data coming from different sources are compared. For examples yelds calculated through data provided from ISTAT survey and by FADN, or prices provided by national economic accounts, or FADN or other sources. Final coefficients are also compared with previous series and among regions, and there is a post validation process made by Eurostat.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The process of caluclation sometimes is audited by ISTAT.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
SOC coefficients met the requests of different users, main users are: ISTAT (National Institute of statistics) that uses the coefficients for the classifications of farms collected by FSS surveys; CREA, that uses the coefficients for the classifications of farms collected by FADN. But SO coefficients are used also from regions for the implementation of rural development programs and for the calculation of farm economic size. The value of SO is also utilized for many economic assessments of farms and as economic parameter in agricultural economic analysis.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
In order to evaluate the reliability of results and correct application of coefficients in 2017 a technical working group has been established in the Ministry of agriculture, forestry and fishery that involves representative of regions, ISTAT, Ministry and CREA. At the moment CREA proposed to Ministry of agruculture food sovereignty and forestry to establish a new working group to evaluate the application of SOC2020.
12.3. Completeness
All content requirements in relevant legislation, regulations and guidelines are met, therefore, all SO coefficients requested have been provided. When no information is available from statistical sources on a particular items we used opinion of experts, but it happens in very residual and few cases.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
100%
Different comparisons are made among results at regional level and among different time. If a value is too low or too high compared to previous or other regions further investigations are made in order to correct or validate the coefficients obtained.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Different comparisons are made among results at regional level and among different time. If a value is too low or too high compared to previous or other regions further investigations are made in order to correct or validate the coefficients obtained.
13.2. Sampling error
Not requested for this reference year.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3. Non-sampling error
not applicable
13.3.1. Coverage error
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.2. Measurement error
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.3. Non response error
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.4. Processing error
Not requested for this reference year.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not requested for this reference year.
14.1. Timeliness
The period of reference for SOC 2020 is 2018 – 2022 and coefficients have been provided to Eurostat by 31 December 2023.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
First results are those delivered within the deadline
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
It depends by the post-validation process.
14.2. Punctuality
On time. We respected the deadline of 31 December 2023.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
The deadline has been respected and the national publication depends by the timing of the post validation made by Eurostat
15.1. Comparability - geographical
FADN regional level
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not requested for this reference year.
15.2. Comparability - over time
SOC 2010 – 2013 -2017 - 2020
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
SOC 2010 – 2013 -2017 - 2020
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Not requested for this reference year.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not requested for this reference year.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not requested for this reference year.
15.4. Coherence - internal
SOC2020 reflect SOC2017 taking into account the impact of inflation rate.
No additional costs because this activity is realized internally and is part of our institutional tasks. No particular burden occurred because data used for the calculation are derived from tables extracted from the web or provided by ISTAT or internally from CREA.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Data have been delivered to Eurostat within the deadline. If the post validation process requires data to be modified the SOC tables will be updated.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Annual crops Statistics for cultivated area and productions quantities (ISTAT), for calculation of yields of cultivations.
FADN survey data, for calculation of yields of cultivations and prices.
National accounts (ISTAT) for prices of cultivations and livestock.
Data on prices (ISMEA) for cultivations.
Statistics of slaughtering (ISTAT) for data related to animal breeding.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not requested for this reference year.
18.1. Source data
Annual crops Statistics for cultivated area and productions quantities (ISTAT), for calculation of yields of cultivations
FADN survey data, for calculation of yields of cultivations and prices
National accounts (ISTAT) for prices of cultivations and livestock
Data on prices (ISMEA) for cultivations
Statistics of slaughtering (ISTAT) for data related to animal breeding
esperts estimates when necessary
18.2. Frequency of data collection
SOC data transmission occurs every 3 years
18.3. Data collection
Data are a combination of statistical data sources Internal or national and experts estimates
For more information, you can consult the Eurostat glossary page on the standard output
31 March 2023
The standard output coefficient of an agricultural product (crop or livestock), abbreviated as SOC, is the average monetary value of the agricultural output at farm-gate price, in euro per hectare or per head of livestock.
Other concepts and definitions are presented in the Typology handbook (RI/CC 1500 rev 5) prepared by the Committee for the Farm Accountancy Data Network.
Standard Output Coefficients (SOC) are collected under the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), by FADN regions in each country. FADN regions are mapped with NUTS regions. For more information on NUTS regions, see the NUTS classification.
Article 4 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1198/2014 states on the reference period for the standard output: “For the purposes of calculating standard outputs for the Union farm structure survey for year N, as referred to in Article 5b(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1217/2009, the reference period consists of the five successive years from year N-5 to year N-1. The standard outputs shall be determined using average basic data calculated over the reference period laid down in the first paragraph and commonly referred to as ‘N-3 standard outputs’. These N-3 standard outputs shall be updated to take account of economic trends at least each time a Union farm structure survey is carried out.”
For IFS 2023 this means that the Standard Output Coefficients required will be those calculated on the period of 5 years that spans from 2018 to 2022 (SOC2020)
Different comparisons are made among results at regional level and among different time. If a value is too low or too high compared to previous or other regions further investigations are made in order to correct or validate the coefficients obtained.
Units of measure utilised in the SOC data set are listed in the data transmission file to Eurostat by product. In general terms the used ones are EUR/100HEAD, EUR/100M2, EUR/HA, EUR/HEAD, EUR/HIVE.
Not requested for this reference year.
Annual crops Statistics for cultivated area and productions quantities (ISTAT), for calculation of yields of cultivations
FADN survey data, for calculation of yields of cultivations and prices
National accounts (ISTAT) for prices of cultivations and livestock
Data on prices (ISMEA) for cultivations
Statistics of slaughtering (ISTAT) for data related to animal breeding
esperts estimates when necessary
SOC data are published on Eurobase under the “Additional data - Eurostat (europa.eu)” page on Agriculture statistics. The publication of the data normally takes place within N+1 year after the deadline for the data transmission. Nevertheless updates of the data can occur, triggered by DG Agri and Eurostat revision and post-validation checks
The period of reference for SOC 2020 is 2018 – 2022 and coefficients have been provided to Eurostat by 31 December 2023.
