The National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) has released the results of the 2014 Agricultural Census.

The Census was conducted in line with the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture (2006-2015) recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Statistics experts from FAO and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) were actively involved in all stages of the project.

The Census results showed that as of October 1, 2014, there were 642.2 thousand farms in the country including 640.0 thousand households and 2.2 thousand legal entities. Women farmers account for 30.9% of the total.

By regions, the highest number of the farms were reported in Imereti (19.6%), Kakheti (15.1%) and Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti regions (13.3%).

At the presentation of the results, FAO Assistant Representative in Georgia Mamuka Meskhi delivered a speech in which he outlined the work FAO and the Government of Georgia are doing to improve the quality of statistical data and to expand the coverage of  statistical surveys.

"The update of the 2004 agricultural census results and the latest data from the 2014 census are important for statistics users at all levels, since this information will be used for the proper planning of agricultural policy and the effective implementation of related programmes," Meskhi said.

Maia Guntsadze, the Deputy Executive Director of Geostat, emphasized that it is very important to hold such kind of meetings, since they spread information to the users of statistical data. Guntsadze noted that the participants of the meeting had an opportunity to hear the details of Geostat’s plans, new statistical surveys and products, and current international cooperation projects.

The meeting  was organized by the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat), FAO and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).