Economic accounts for agriculture (aact)

National Reference Metadata in ESS Standard for Quality Reports Structure (ESQRS)

Compiling agency: Statistics Finland

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

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1.1. Contact organisation

Statistics Finland

1.2. Contact organisation unit

Economic Statistics

1.5. Contact mail address

Hannu Maliniemi

FIN-00022 Statistics Finland

2. Statistical presentation

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2.1. Data description

Main characteristics

2.1.1 Describe shortly the main characteristics of the statistics

The Economic Accounts for Agriculture (EAA) provide detailed information on income in the agricultural sector. The purpose is to analyse the production process of the agricultural industry and the primary income generated by this production. The accounts are therefore based on the industry concept. The EAA accounts are detailed data on value of output (producer prices and basic prices), intermediate consumption, subsidies and taxes, consumption of fixed capital, rent and interests, capital formation etc. The values are in current as well as in constant prices. Agricultural Labour Input (ALI) and Unit Values (UV) are an integrated part of the overall concept of Economic Accounts for Agriculture.

Reference period

2.1.2 Reference period of the data collection	2017
2.1.3 Is the reference period based on the calendar year starting January 1st and ending December 31st?	Yes
2.1.4 If No, please specify

National legislation

2.1.5 Is there a national legislation covering these statistics?	No
If Yes, please answer all the following questions.
2.1.6 Name of the national legislation
2.1.7 Link to the national legislation
2.1.8 Responsible organisation for the national legislation
2.1.9 Year of entry into force of the national legislation
2.1.10 Please indicate which variables required under EU regulation are not covered by national legislation, if any.
2.1.11 Please indicate which national definitions differ from those in the EU regulation, if any.
2.1.12 Is there a legal obligation for respondents to reply?

Additional comments on data description

2.2. Classification system

The EAA is an integral part of the European system of accounts and therefore for their compilation the Eurostat's general classification of economic activities, NACE Rev. 2, is used.

Country specific part:

FI disseminates data using the classifications of the EAA transmission programme. There are typically more breakdowns of the national production systems, e.g. production of barley are sum of production of seed corn, malt corn, feed corn et cetera.

2.3. Coverage - sector

EAA cover the Agricultural sector.

Country specific part:

In FI the EAA accounts include the agriculture production except for the so-called kitchen garden production (as the EAA manual says)

2.4. Statistical concepts and definitions

One of the principal objectives of the EAA is to measure agricultural income and changes therein.
The three agricultural income indicators can be described as follows:
Indicator A: index of the real income of factors in agriculture per AWU
Indicator B: index of real net agricultural entrepreneurial income, per non-salaried AWU
Indicator C: net entrepreneurial income of agriculture

2.5. Statistical unit

In order to analyse flows generated by the production process and the use of goods and services, it is necessary to select units which emphasise relationships of a technico-economic kind. This requirement means that as a rule institutional units must be partitioned into smaller and more homogeneous units with regard to the kind of production. Local kind-of-activity units (local KAUs) are intended to meet this requirement as a first but practically-oriented operational approach

Country specific part:

The local KAUs in Finland represent agriculture sector and the information of units are based on the FSS information (farm register) and on the tax register of farm businesses.

2.6. Statistical population

The agricultural holding, which is the unit currently used for statistical studies of agriculture (censuses, surveys of the structure of agricultural holdings), is the local KAU most appropriate to the agricultural industry.In addition to agricultural holdings, the agricultural industry comprises units made up of groups of producers (e.g. cooperatives) which produce wine and olive oil and specialised units which provide machines, material and labour for the performance of contract work.

Country specific part:

The joint ownership of farms becomes common in Finland so the agriculture enterprise is maybe a better statistical unit than a agricultural holding when we are collecting economical information of the agri business. E.g. one entrepreneur can own several farms or the farm can be operated by a limited company.

2.7. Reference area

2.7.1 Geographical area covered	The entire territory of the country.
2.7.2 Which special Member State territories are included?

2.8. Coverage - Time

Country specific part:

The EAA information has been produced and has been disseminated annual since the year 1975. REAA series has been disseminated from the year 1995 to the year 2012

2.9. Base period

Finland currently uses 2010 as reference year for the compilation of chain-linked volumes.

3. Statistical processing

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3.1. Source data

Overall summary

3.1.1 Total number of different data sources used	12
The breakdown is as follows:
3.1.2 Total number of sources of the type "Census"	0
3.1.3 Total number of sources of the type "Sample survey"	7
3.1.4 Total number of sources of the type "Administrative source"	1
3.1.5 Total number of sources of the type "Experts"	1
3.1.6 Total number of sources of the type "Other sources"	3

Census

If there is a specific census conducted in your country to collect data exclusively for the EAA please describe it in this part. For other data sources please use table 3.1 in the annexed Excel file. If metadata already exist just provide the name of the data source.
3.1.7 Name/Title
3.1.8 Name of Organisation responsible
3.1.9 Main scope
3.1.10 List used to build the frame
3.1.11 Any possible threshold values
3.1.12 Population size
3.1.13 Additional comments

Sample survey

If there is a specific survey conducted in your country to collect data exclusively for the EAA please describe it in this part. For other data sources please use table 3.1. If metadata already exist just provide the name of the data source.(e.g. FSS, Crop production, Animal production, Prices in Agriculture)
3.1.14 Name/Title
3.1.15 Name of Organisation responsible
3.1.16 Main scope
3.1.17 List used to build the frame
3.1.18 Any possible threshold values
3.1.19 Population size
3.1.20 Sample size
3.1.21 Sampling basis
3.1.22 If Other, please specify
3.1.23 Type of sample design
3.1.24 If Other, please specify
3.1.25 If Stratified, number of strata
3.1.26 If Stratified, stratification criteria
3.1.27 If Other, please specify
3.1.28 Additional comments

Administrative source

If there is a specific administrative source in your country witch provide data exclusively for the EAA please describe it in this part. For other administrative sources please use table 3.1. If metadata already exist just provide the name of the data source.
3.1.29 Name/Title
3.1.30 Name of Organisation responsible
3.1.31 Contact information (email and phone)
3.1.32 Main administrative scope
3.1.33 Geospatial Coverage
3.1.34 Update frequency
3.1.35 Legal basis
3.1.36 Are you able to access directly to the micro data?
3.1.37 Are you able to check the plausibility of the data, namely by contacting directly the units?
3.1.38 How would you assess the proximity of the definitions and concepts (including statistical units) used in the administrative source with those required in the EU regulation?
3.1.39 Please list the main differences between the administrative source and the statistical definitions and concepts
3.1.40 Is a different threshold used in the administrative source and statistical data?
3.1.41 If Yes, please specify
3.1.42 Additional comments

Experts

If there is a specific expert source in your country witch provide data exclusively for the EAA please describe it in this part. For other expert sources please use table 3.1. If metadata already exist just provide the name of the data source.
3.1.43 Name/Title
3.1.44 Primary purpose
3.1.45 Legal basis
3.1.46 Update frequency
3.1.47 Expert data supplier
3.1.48 If Other, please specify
3.1.49 How would you assess the quality of those data?
3.1.50 Additional comments

Other sources

If there is more than one other statistical activity, please describe the main one below and the additional ones in table 3.1 of the annexed Excel file
3.1.51 Name/Title
3.1.52 Name of Organisation
3.1.53 Primary purpose
3.1.54 Data type
3.1.55 If Other, please specify
3.1.56 How would you assess the quality of those data?
3.1.57 Additional comments

3.2. Frequency of data collection

The information has been described in annex 3.1 and 3.3

3.3. Data collection

Census

If there is a specific census conducted in your country to collect data exclusively for the EAA please describe the method of data collection in this part. For other data sources please use table 3.3. If metadata alredy exist just provide the name of the data source.
3.3.1 Name/Title
3.3.2 Methods of data collection
3.3.3 If Other, please specify
3.3.4 If face-to-face or telephone interview, which method is used?
3.3.5 Data entry method, if paper questionnaires?
3.3.6 Please annex the questionnaire used (if very long: please provide the hyperlink)
3.3.7 Additional comments

Sample survey

If there is a specific survay conducted in your country to collect data exclusively for the EAA please describe the method of data collection in this part.For other data sources please use table 3.3. If metadata alredy exist just provide the name of the data source.
3.3.8 Name/Title
3.3.9 Methods of data collection
3.3.10 If Other, please specify
3.3.11 If face-to-face or telephone interview, which method is used?
3.3.12 Data entry method, if paper questionnaires?
3.3.13 Please annex the questionnaire used (if very long: please provide the hyperlink)
3.3.14 Additional comments

Administrative source

If there is a specific administrative source in your country to collect data exclusively for the EAA please describe the metod of data collection in this part.For other data sources please use table 3.3. If metadata alredy exist just provide the name of the data source.
3.3.15 Name/Title
3.3.16 Extraction date
3.3.17 How easy is it to get access to the data?
3.3.18 Data transfer method
3.3.19 Additional comments

Experts

If there is a specific expert source in your country witch provide data exclusively for the EAA please describe the metod of data collection in this part. For other expert sources please use table 3.3. If metadata alredy exist just provide the name of the data source.
3.3.20 Name/Title
3.3.21 Methods of data collection
3.3.22 Additional comments

3.4. Data validation

3.4.1 Which kind of data validation measures are in place?	Manual
3.4.2 What do they target?	Consistency
3.4.3 If Other, please specify

3.5. Data compilation

3.5.1 Describe the data compilation process	We use mainly the aggregated materials which get from the public statistics. The majority of the source materials are published in the Internet. We have automated information retrievals directly from the WWW pages of the producers of the information. The information we don't get this way we have ask e.g. the organisations of the producers.
3.5.2 Additional comments

3.6. Adjustment

Obiously some adjustments have been done, e.g. the intermediate consumption have been evaluated in the limited company of agriculture

4. Quality management

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4.1. Quality assurance

4.1.1 Is there a quality management system used in the organisation?	No
4.1.2 If yes, how is it implemented?
4.1.3 Has a peer review been carried out?	No
4.1.4 If Yes, which were the main conclusions?
4.1.5 What quality improvements are foreseen?	Further automation
4.1.6 If Other, please specify
4.1.7 Additional comments	During the next few years quality management will be emphasised in the developing of the management system when one moves for the quality frame's of the statistics system of Europe according operation.

4.2. Quality management - assessment

Development since the last quality report

4.2.1 Overall quality	Improvement
4.2.2 Relevance	Stable
4.2.3 Accuracy and reliability	Improvement
4.2.4 Timeliness and punctuality	Stable
4.2.5 Comparability	Stable
4.2.6 Coherence	Stable
4.2.7 Additional comments

5. Relevance

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5.1. Relevance - User Needs

5.1.1 If certain user needs are not met, please specify which and why	We have not clarified the users' experiences which apply to the relevance of EAA accounts. The EAA information is not published separately in Finland so we cannot say who in Finland use the information in question. The clarifying of the matter belongs to Eurostat, in our opinion, because only you can follow whom using in Finland and looking EAA publications. Of cource we use the same information and sources of information in the compilation of the EAA accounts as well as the NA accounts, so the all EAA information is relevant to us.
5.1.2 Please specify any plans to satisfy needs more completely in the future	At present we clarify if we can begin the national publication of EAA
5.1.3 Additional comments

5.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction

5.2.1 Has a user satisfaction survey been conducted?	No
If Yes, please answer all the following questions
5.2.2 Year of the user satisfaction survey
5.2.3 How satisfied were the users?
5.2.4 Additional comments

5.3. Completeness

5.3.1 Data completeness - rate	The total agriculture industry have been covered in the EAA. Ofcource some information are more or less exact, based on the estimate.
5.3.2 If not complete, which characteristics are missing?	The intermediate consumption for the limited companies which practise agriculture is based on the estimate. There will be an improvement in the matter in the near future if and when we will get better information for this group.
5.3.3 Additional comments

6. Accuracy and reliability

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6.1. Accuracy - overall

6.1.1 How good is the accuracy?	Good
6.1.2 What are the main factors lowering the accuracy?	Coverage error
6.1.3 If Other, please specify
6.1.4 Additional comments

6.2. Sampling error

A considerable part of the source information of EAA is based on the sampling inquiries produced by Natural recearch information center Finland. From all the aforementioned sampling inquiries include a quality caption in to the methodology report of the statistics. E.g. the standard error of the estimators and the other parameters of the sample research has been described as well as other main information of the statistics on this paper. For example the statistical standard error of the crop statistics varies between 1-2%.

6.2.1. Sampling error - indicators

Standard error is the most used indicator what we are using in Finland when we are describing the random variation of an estimator of the source statistics of EAA.

6.3. Non-sampling error

In Finland agriculture output and price statistics are mostly based on the informatio which is obtained from the buyers of products. Nearly all of the agriculture products are coming through these companies onto the market. All the before-mentioned companies are obliged to report the outputs bought by it and prices to the Natural resource information centre. We get the information about the value of the production (quantity x price) which is based on the total data of production. Only a minor number of the production comes to the market via other way than mentioned before (for example the own consumption of the farmer family)

The information concerning production costs is gained from the Statistics on the finances of agricultural and forestry enterprises produced by Statistics Finland. The problem of the statistics in question is the fact that its frame population includes only the called family farms. However, the number of farms owned by limited companieshas increased during the last few years in Finland so they still stay on the under cavariage of the statistics. Thus the production costs of company-type premises have to be estimated for the present. In the near future we hope the situation will change and we will get an improvement to this matter; we try to take the group in question also to the frame population of the statistics.

6.3.1. Coverage error

Coverage error of EAA means that we don't have accuracy information for some product produced or some items of intermediate consumption (as said on the 5.3.2). Overall, output has been covered good level, but we have some caverage problems with intermediate costs. GFCF as well as the consumption of fixed capital and FISIM have been covered together within NA, and the quality is good.

6.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate

We have not identified a problem in the over-coverage

6.3.1.2. Common units - proportion

6.3.2. Measurement error

6.3.3. Non response error

6.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate

6.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate

6.3.4. Processing error

The sas based production system has beed decreased the possibilities for processin errors

6.3.4.1. Imputation - rate

6.3.5. Model assumption error

6.4. Seasonal adjustment

Because of annual statistic and annual data we don't use any seasonal adjustment method.

6.5. Data revision - policy

We publish the revisions from the EAA accounts as we get new information about the operating volumes of an output as well as inputs and their worth.
Nearly all the information concerning the value of the output will be completed during the year t-1, but information concerning the use and values of inputs will be completed during the year t-2.

6.6. Data revision - practice

6.6.1 Data revision - average size	Average change less than 5 per cent compared to the original value
6.6.2 Were data revisions due to conceptual changes (e.g. new definitions) carried out since the last quality report?	No
6.6.3 What was the main reason for the revisions?	New source data. The main data of intermediate consumption will be ready after t-15 months from the reference year
6.6.4 How do you evaluate the impact of the revisions?	Important
6.6.5 Additional comments

7. Timeliness and punctuality

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7.1. Timeliness

7.1.1 When were the first results for the reference period published?	The first results of the reference year 2017 was published in December 2017 (EAA first estimate 2017)
7.1.2 When were the final results for the reference period published?	Th final results will be publised in September 2018. After this we will publish the revised version if we get new information of the year 2017
7.1.3 Reasons for possible long production times?

7.2. Punctuality

7.2.1 Were data released nationally according to a pre-announced schedule (Release Calendar)?	No
7.2.2 If Yes, were data released on the target date?
7.2.3 If No, reasons for delays?	We do not publish EAA information nationally at all.
7.2.4 Number of days between the national release date of data and the target date

8. Coherence and comparability

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8.1. Comparability - geographical

To be assessed by Eurostat

8.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient

8.2. Comparability - over time

8.2.1 Length of comparable time series	1990-2017
8.2.2 Have there been major breaks in the time series?	No
8.2.3 If Yes, please specify the year of break and the reason
8.2.4 Additional comments

8.3. Coherence - cross domain

8.3.1 With which other national data sources have the data been compared?	The statistics on the finances of agricultural and forestry enterprises Profitability of agriculture (results of FADN book keeping farms)
8.3.2 Describe briefly the results of comparisons	The information of the above mentioned statistics partly is used as sources of information of EAA accounts. Thus the results are very comparable. The frame population of EAA accounts is a little wider than the frame population of the above mentioned statistics.
8.3.3 If no comparisons have been made, explain why
8.3.4 Additional comments

8.4. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics

In Finland we are producing monthly and quarterly NA information from the branch of the agriculture. Sub annual information is based on the considerably smaller information which we will have available when we draw up annual accounts.

8.5. Coherence - National Accounts

Use of EAA-data in NA calculations

Are EAA used by NA as data source for Group 01	Degree of implication	Please describe briefly the reasons
Output	Only source used	EAA and NA are drawn up in the same unit and same time and using the same sources of information. The differences are caused by the methodological differences between EAA and Na
Intermediate consumption	Only source used
Fixed capital consumption	Only source used
Compensation of employees	Only source used
Taxes	Only source used
Subsidies	Only source used
Rents	Only source used
Interest	Only source used
Gross fixed capital formation	Only source used
Labour input	Only source used

Use of NA-data in EAA calculations

Are NA used as data source for EAA	Degree of implication	Please describe briefly the reasons
Output	Only source used
Intermediate consumption	Only source used
Fixed capital consumption	Only source used
Compensation of employees	Only source used
Taxes	Only source used
Subsidies	Only source used
Rents	Only source used
Interest	Only source used
Gross fixed capital formation	Only source used
Labour input	Only source used

8.6. Coherence - internal

The quality of the information which is used as sources of information has been carefully estimated. The result of the analysis of sources of information a problems are usually gone away.

9. Accessibility and clarity

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9.1. Dissemination format - News release

9.1.1 Do you publish a news release?	No
9.1.2 If Yes, please provide a link

9.2. Dissemination format - Publications

9.2.1 Do you produce a paper publication?	No
9.2.2 If Yes, is there an English version?	No
9.2.3 Do you produce an electronic publication?	No
9.2.4 If Yes, is there an English version?	No
9.2.5 Please provide a link

9.3. Dissemination format - online database

9.3.1 Data tables - consultations	Finland database have been disseminated only in Eurostat database.
9.3.2 Is an on-line database accessible to users?	Yes
9.3.3 Please provide a link

9.4. Dissemination format - microdata access

9.4.1 Are micro-data accessible to users?	No
9.4.2 Please provide a link

9.5. Dissemination format - other

9.6. Documentation on methodology

9.6.1 Are national reference metadata files available?	No
9.6.2 Please provide a link
9.6.3 Are methodological papers available?	No
9.6.4 Please provide a link
9.6.5 Is a handbook available?	No
9.6.6 Please provide a link

9.7. Quality management - documentation

9.7.1 Metadata completeness - rate
9.7.2 Metadata - consultations
9.7.3 Is a quality report available?	No
9.7.4 Please provide a link

10. Cost and Burden

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10.1 Efficiency gains if compared to the previous quality report	Further automation
10.2 If Other, please specify
10.3 Burden reduction measures since the previous quality report	Easier data transmission Other
10.4 If Other, please specify	Sas based compilation system We have begun to use the compilation method which is based on the SAS programme when earlier the calculation was based on excel. The search of source information has been automated as well as the whole EAA compilation process.

11. Confidentiality

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11.1. Confidentiality - policy

11.1.1 Are confidential data transmitted to Eurostat?	No
11.1.2 If yes, are they confidential in the sense of Reg. (EC) 223/2009?
11.1.3 Describe the data confidentiality policy in place

11.2. Confidentiality - data treatment

11.2.1 Describe the procedures for ensuring confidentiality during dissemination	We don' use microdata sources in EAA compilation process - only official statistics.
11.2.2 Additional comments

12. Comment

Related metadata

Annexes