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.
Agricultural holdings (Main data source used to calculate SOCs is the National Central Statistical Office (CSO) database).
3.7. Reference area
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 applicable.
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
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not requested for this reference year.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Not applicable.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Not applicable.
8.1. Release calendar
There is no official release policy in place provided for SOCs.
8.2. Release calendar access
There is no official release policy in place provided for SOCs.
8.3. Release policy - user access
Only the final values of SOCs are publicly released, as well as methodological issues. No detailed calculations of SOCs are released, only on special request.
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.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Standard Output Coefficients will be published on the Polish FADN website as a free publication. Also, paper publication will be released soon.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Not requested for this reference year.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Not requested for this reference year.
10.3.1. Data tables - consultations
Not requested for this reference year.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Not requested for this reference year.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not requested for this reference year.
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
Not requested for this reference year.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Not requested for this reference year.
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
To ensure quality, the SOCs are calculated in cooperation with external experts: researchers - specialists in particular fields and Statistical Office employees. The results are checked both before and after aggregation to the IFS codes. The results obtained are verified with CSO data as well as EAA and FADN.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Not requested for this reference year.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
SOCs meet users' needs in general.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
SOCs generally satisfy the users who use them for the main goal.
12.3. Completeness
15 characteristics are marked as NSNE. The number of harvests is additionally inserted in the case of mushrooms.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
100%
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The output is calculated from the main products and secondary products. For some characteristics (i.e. cereals) the output of the main product is calculated including sales, farm use, farm consumption and changes in stocks. For vegetables and fruits, the main product is divided into 2 categories depending on quality or purpose.
For animals but bees, the replacement value is taken into account.
The SOC are rounded to 2 decimal places.
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 requested for this reference year.
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
SOCs are calculated as 5-year averages and make them historical values.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Not requested for this reference year.
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Not requested for this reference year.
14.2. Punctuality
SOCs 2020 were sent on time (20 December 2023).
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Not requested for this reference year.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The SOCs are calculated for 4 SOC regions (the same as for FADN). The rules (and characteristics) of calculation are the same in each region.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not requested for this reference year.
15.2. Comparability - over time
The SOCs are calculated using the same rules (in general) since SO2007 was set. Only for fodder plants (grassland, meadow, pastures), some modification was made, but the results are comparable.
For some characteristics (e.g. other arable land crops) the changes in code aggregation should be taken into account.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Not requested for this reference year.
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
Not requested for this reference year.
The cost of calculating SO is about 80 000 PLN (it excludes IAFE-NRI employees working in FADN).
17.1. Data revision - policy
The results obtained were verified with CSO data as well as EAA and FADN and with the previous set of SO.
17.2. Data revision - practice
The results obtained were verified with CSO data as well as EAA and FADN and with the previous set of SO.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not requested for this reference year.
18.1. Source data
The main data source used to calculate SOCs is the national Central Statistical Office (CSO) database. In relation to special activities - where no CSO data was available - specific data sources were necessary to be used.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
SOC data transmission occurs every 3 years.
18.3. Data collection
Data validation on the EC server was made in December 2023.
18.4. Data validation
The results obtained were verified with CSO data as well as EAA and FADN and with the previous set of SO.
Agricultural holdings (Main data source used to calculate SOCs is the National Central Statistical Office (CSO) database).
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).
The output is calculated from the main products and secondary products. For some characteristics (i.e. cereals) the output of the main product is calculated including sales, farm use, farm consumption and changes in stocks. For vegetables and fruits, the main product is divided into 2 categories depending on quality or purpose.
For animals but bees, the replacement value is taken into account.
The SOC are rounded to 2 decimal places.
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.
The main data source used to calculate SOCs is the national Central Statistical Office (CSO) database. In relation to special activities - where no CSO data was available - specific data sources were necessary to be used.
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.
SOCs are calculated as 5-year averages and make them historical values.
The SOCs are calculated for 4 SOC regions (the same as for FADN). The rules (and characteristics) of calculation are the same in each region.
The SOCs are calculated using the same rules (in general) since SO2007 was set. Only for fodder plants (grassland, meadow, pastures), some modification was made, but the results are comparable.
For some characteristics (e.g. other arable land crops) the changes in code aggregation should be taken into account.
