Strategic Plan for Agricultural and Rural Statistics (SPARS) 2016 – 2025.

This Strategic Plan for Agricultural and Rural Statistics is a 10-year nationwide sectoral document aiming at implementing a system that provides comprehensive, timely, transparent and reliable data using up-to-date methods for the collection, processing and dissemination of statistics that meets international standards, supporting informed decision making in the agricultural sector. To achieve the aim, the Plan sets out 3 strategic goals as follows (1) improve regulation and institutional frameworks for agricultural and rural statistics; (2) develop statistical infrastructure for agricultural and rural statistics; and (3) manage and develop agricultural and rural statistics. It is a long-term strategy to gradually introduce new methodologies and improve data quality. Through the implementation of the SPARS, the Government will achieve the following (i) evaluate the existing agricultural and rural statistics system; (ii) assess data quality; (iii) identify data gaps; (iv) determine programs and interventions needed to improve statistics; (v) collect information for coordinating and financing agricultural and rural statistics development activities; (vi) contribute more information on integrating agricultural statistics into the national statistics system, the cost of implementing the plan, sources of funding, and technical aspects of statistics improvement work.
The SPARS has been designed to link with the national development plans. For the purpose of the SPARS, agriculture covers crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry, and includes the economic, social and environmental dimensions of agricultural and rural development. Agricultural and rural statistics cover agricultural production activities, as well as development aspects in rural areas such as employment, socio-economic characteristics and access to services.
Annexed to the document there are (i) SPARS Action Plan, showing detailed activities for the period 2016-2017, and a broad description of activities for the remaining years; (ii) SPARS Logical Framework, showing the assumptions/risks associated with implementing the strategy; and (iii) SPARS Financing Plan.