Ahsan inaugurates 7th agricultural census

islamabad
Minister PD&SI Professor Ahsan Iqbal appreciated PBS efforts for conduct of Agricultural Census, first ever Integrated Digital Count. It will provide reliable timely and authentic data for informed decision making and will provide basis for increasing productivity and exports.
Minister PD&SI appreciated the efforts of PBS as Agricultural census will lead to green Pakistan. 7th Agricultural Census marks Pakistan’s first digital, integrated count of agricultural lands, crops, livestock, and machinery.
The Minister PD&SI, Prof Ahsan Iqbal highlighted the government’s commitment to harnessing data for evidence-based policies, particularly in the agricultural sector
Minister PD&SI Professor Ahsan Iqbal acknowledged PBS comprehensive efforts for successful completion of 7th Population & Housing Census
Field operations, including enumeration of large holdings, scheduled from August to October 2024.
Initial phase focuses on training of 311 CMTs, at Islamabad; these CMTs will subsequently train 6500 enumerators and 1368 supervisors in 220 batches across 160 district-level venues nationwide.
The 7th Agricultural Census of Pakistan, the first integrated digital count, was inaugurated by Minister PD&SI, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, on July 10, 2024, at NIBAF, Islamabad. The training will cover 311 Census Master Trainers (CMTs) in four groups, who will then train 6,500 enumerators and 1,368 supervisors across the country.
Dr. Naeem uz Zafar, Chief Census Commissioner, welcomed the Minister and senior PBS officers at the event.
Mr. Muhammad Sarwar Gondal, Sitara-i- Imtiaz Member (Support Services/RM) and focal person for the Agricultural Census, emphasized the significance of the 7th Agricultural Census as the first digital integrated count of agricultural data in Pakistan’s history. He highlighted the importance of data collection for informed decision-making and GDP contribution, detailing PBS’s operational network and advanced digital data collection and training methods. The census, set to run from August to October 2024, aims to enhance Pakistan’s economic landscape with critical data for evidence-based policy making.
Minister PD&SI acknowledged the Agricultural Census team for their crucial role in the CMT Training Program inauguration, stressing the link between agricultural data and policy-making. Emphasizing the upcoming 7th Agricultural Census’s importance, he urged CMTs to engage fully in training for informed decision-making. The Minister emphasized uniform training delivery to supervisors and enumerators nationwide for effective implementation.
“This training of Census Master Trainers is not merely a preparatory step but a cornerstone in our efforts to gather accurate and timely agricultural data,” remarked Minister PD&SI. “The success of the 7th Agricultural Census hinges on the competence and dedication of our trainers and enumerators. It is imperative that the knowledge imparted here today cascades down uniformly, ensuring consistency and reliability in data collection processes.”
The Minister’s address highlighted the government’s commitment to harnessing data for evidence-based policies, particularly in the agricultural sector, where accurate data is instrumental in planning and implementing development strategies.
Dr. Naeem uz Zafar, Sitara-i- Imtiaz Chief Statistician, thanked the Minister PD&SI for his support and highlighted the collaborative efforts of PBS, stakeholders, and the government in advancing the 7th Agricultural Census. He emphasized agriculture’s crucial role in the economy, contributing significantly to GDP, employment, exports, and food security. He stressed that data-driven policies, enabled by the census, are essential for the sector’s growth and development.