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Austria
Livestock surveys
Surveys on the number of pigs
Up until 1992, the pig population in Austria was surveyed four times a year - on 3 March, 3 June, 3 September and 3 December. The first three surveys were of the sample variety and the fourth a full survey. Since 1980, the December survey has been exhaustive every other (odd) year, the intervening surveys being sample surveys. This was done for reasons of cost.
As from 1993, the EU cycle was adopted, the number of surveys being reduced to three per year - in early April, early August and early December. In each case, Austria opted for the first of the month. As before, every other December survey was exhaustive (except for 1997).
Austria was authorised by Commission Decision 2000/380/EC of 29 May 2000 to carry out just two surveys per year on the pig population. Austria submitted a study showing the quality of the GIP (gross domestic production) forecasts could be maintained. This study simulated a June survey by calculating a linear trend for the April and August surveys, and it showed that two pig surveys were sufficient to provide the requisite data.
Austria thus carries out two pig surveys a year, the first in June and the second in December. The December survey is an integrated livestock survey in the sense that other types of animal are also taken into account. The June survey is a separate pig survey.
These pig surveys are carried out as sample surveys. The mean sampling error over the past few years for the pig surveys was 1.11% for the total pig population, with 95% statistical certainty. The last full surveys were in December 1995 and December 1999.
Holdings are selected on the basis of the previous census of the livestock population. The sample covers 4 000 holdings in June and 7 000 holdings in December, accounting for 5% and 8% respectively of the total number of holdings with pigs. The sample covers 100% of the total pig population.
Austria does not conduct the statistical surveys of pigs (integrated surveys) in selected regions only.
The surveys are carried out by face-to-face interview with farmers. The mean response is 100%. The survey bodies are towns and municipalities.
In the medium term (by 2005), Austria intends to replace the pig surveys with administrative data. The pig database will be used as a source of data.
Surveys on the number of cattle
Commission Decision 2000/554/EC of 6 September 2000 authorised the Republic of Austria to make use of the register of bovine animals (RBA) to partially replace the cattle surveys carried out pursuant to Council Directive 93/24EEC. This supplies all the statistical data required by the Directive. Authorisation to use the RBA runs until 31 December 2003.
The administrative register of bovine animals provides up-to-date, complete and representative information on the following characteristics:
Heifers
Cows
The following parameters, which cannot be taken from the RBA, form the subject of an additional statistical survey covering at least 1 000 holdings:
- Cattle aged under one year, cattle to be slaughtered as calves
- Cattle aged under one, other
- Cattle aged under one, other, male
- Cattle aged under one, other, female
- Cattle aged between one and two years, female, for slaughter
- Cattle aged between one and two, female, other
- Cattle aged two or over, female, heifers, for slaughter
- Cattle aged two and over, female, heifers, other
- Cattle aged two or over, female, cows, dairy cows
- Cattle aged two or over, female, cows, other
This additional sample survey is carried out by face-to-face interview with farmers. The response rate is 100%. The survey is carried out by towns and municipalities.
A co-operation group consisting of officials from Statistik Austria, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Environment and Water Management (main body responsible for the bovine database), plus representatives of agricultural chambers of commerce, experts from the Vienna University of Soil Science (statistics and veterinary science) and a representative of the European Commission, monitors statistical application of the administrative database.
This group takes particular care to ensure that the procedure for updating the RBA continues to guarantee a complete and representative register. In the event of significant changes being made to the database, this group always carries out a detailed investigation.
Austria will be drawing up an annual report on the use of the RBA for statistical purposes. Once the authorisation period is over, Austria must present the European Commission with a report comparing the RBA results with the findings of the cattle surveys. To this end, 2003 will see not just the farm structure survey being carried out, but also a regular cattle survey complying with Article 4 of Council Regulation 93/24/EEC. This comparative study, together with the annual reports, will allow the Commission, once the Standing Committee on Agricultural Statistics has delivered its opinion, to take a decision on the use of the RBA for statistical purposes.
In practical terms, this means that the coefficients of variation in the 2003 survey may not exceed 1% for total cattle and 1.5% for total cows. The sample must include sufficient holdings to ensure that at least 95% of the total cattle population is included. This will mean a sample of between 4 000 and 5 000 holdings. As already stated, the aim is to generate all the requisite data on cattle from this survey alone. The survey findings can then be compared with the RBA results. A final report on the use of the RBA can then be drawn up, and this may allow use of the RBA to be extended.
Fig. 1
Survey schedule for Austria based on the register of bovine animals
During the authorisation period, the structural studies based on population size classes to be carried out in December of odd-numbered years will be drawn up using the register of bovine animals.
Austria sends the European Commission figures on the cattle population twice a year, in June and December.
The surveys carried out pursuant to Directive 93/24 of 1 June 1993 are sample surveys. The last full survey was carried out in Austria on 1 December 1999. These surveys have a mean sampling error of 1.2% for the total population of cattle (with 95% statistical certainty).
In each case, holdings were selected on the basis of the previous livestock census. in future, the RBA will probably be taken into account and duly exploited.
The additional, RBA-based surveys cover 100% of the total livestock population. 1 000 holdings are surveyed, corresponding to 1% of the parent population. The surveys are not conducted in selected regions only.
Surveys on the number of sheep and goats
Austria conducts surveys of the sheep and goat population in December of each year. The surveys are carried out jointly.
The surveys are of the sample variety. The last full surveys were carried out in December 1995 and 1999. The mean sampling error over the past few years for the sheep and goat surveys was 2.64% for the total sheep population and 5.79% for the total goat population, with 95% statistical certainty. In each case, the holdings are selected on the basis of the previous livestock census.
The surveys cover 100% of the total sheep and goat population, involving 3 800 holdings with sheep and 2 300 with goats - 19% and 16% of the parent population respectively. The surveys are not conducted in selected regions only.
The surveys are conducted by face-to-face interview with farmers. The response rate is 100%. The survey bodies are the towns and municipalities.
In the medium term (up to 2005), Austria does not intend to replace statistical surveys of the sheep and goat populations with administrative data.
Statistics on slaughterings
Austria compiles monthly statistics on the number and slaughter weight of animals slaughtered in abattoirs for human consumption. These cover pigs (total), calves, heifers, cows, bulls, steers, sheep (total) and lambs and goats (total). Monthly statistics are available only for the slaughterings that are surveyed and are not representative of total slaughterings, i.e. "calves" and "pigs"" (around 95% coverage each), and particularly not of "sheep/lambs" and "goats"" (around 25% and 10% coverage respectively).
Availability of monthly data on slaughterings
Weight
The surveyed slaughterings are reported by official district veterinarians to Statistik Austria, where they are combined into Bundesland and national totals. These are available around one month after the reporting month in question. Slaughterings that are not surveyed are covered partly by the livestock population surveys (pigs), by exploiting the RBA (calves) and by drawing on estimates produced by experts in the chambers of agriculture (sheep and goats).
Data on external trade in live animals
Live animals are recorded under CN-01. The data are recorded as part of Intrastat (trade within the EU) and Extrastat (trade with non-EU countries). For the Intrastat returns, threshold values are applied (currently ATS 2 000 = 145 346 €). External trade data are available 12 weeks after the reporting month. The data are recorded and processed by Statistik Austria.
The figures on external trade in live animals are taken from the statistics compiled by Statistik Austria. However, it is often clear from mirror statistics (from Austria's biggest trading partner, Germany, for example) that either the Austrian or German figures must contain errors. However, in a bid to protect against the accusation of manipulation, official figures are systematically based on Austrian statistics.
Production forecasts (gross indigenous production)
When calculating the future GIP of pigs, it is empirically established which percentage of pigs in each age class is to be slaughtered in a given month. These percentages vary according to the month of survey (June or December). They also change from one year to the next. An average is then taken of these deviations, this then being used to continue the series.
Example of the June survey: pigs weighing over 110 kg are slaughtered in the livestock census month of June, so they no longer fall under the first forecast quarter (July toe September). Likewise, some three-quarters of animals weighing between 80 and 110 kg are slaughtered as early as June. The first month after the census, i.e. the first forecast month, includes the remainder of animals weighing between 80 and 110 kg, and a large portion of the 50-80kg category (the mid-term figure for the period under investigation was around 40%). In the second month after the census, i.e. the second forecast month, the remainder of animals weighing between 50 and 80 kg are marketed. In the third month the figure is around 40% of young pigs (20-50 kg weight-group). The fourth month accounts for around 40% of young pigs, the fifth month covers the remainder of young pigs and some 30% of piglets, whilst the sixth month accounts for just over 40% of piglets. Two calendar quarters can thus be estimated by adding up the monthly values.
The seventh month still accounts for a significant portion of piglets, though a large portion of GIP comes from litters from the covered sow population of 1 June. The portion of GIP generated by these animals was estimated as follows:
The fictive increase in piglets per covered breeding sow for individual quarters was calculated for a fairly long period using the population equation, and the average worked out for the corresponding quarters. This mean piglet increase was multiplied by the number of covered sows at the start of the quarter. This yields the animal population deriving from covered sows. This population, part of which should be ready for slaughter, was again multiplied by empirical percentage rates to provide, together with the remaining portion of piglets ready for slaughter (or export) the GIP volume for month seven. A similar procedure (minus the processed piglets) is followed for months eight and nine. Adding these three months together yields GIP for the third quarter.
The GIP for cattle is basically calculated using a population continuation procedure. Parameters are also calculated for the transition between one animal category and the next oldest, these then being continued. The most important of these parameters are calving rate, calf slaughter rate, rearing rate, cow population turnover and slaughter rate. Unfortunately, external factors (calf processing/Herodes premium, BSE crisis, etc.) have adversely affected the consistency of these transitional parameters over the past few years. This has also made cattle forecasts less accurate. Discrepancies in external trade statistics have likewise had a negative impact on forecast calculations.
Austria has very small populations of sheep and goats, hence the relatively scant attention paid to the forecasting procedure used for the GIP of sheep and goats. Basically, the ewe population for December of the previous year is compared with the GIP for goats and sheep. The trend in the resultant ratio is then extrapolated, the latest population figure yielding the forecast GIP.
Poultry statistics
A monthly record is kept of hatcheries and chick hatchings in holdings with a minimum storage capacity of "500 hatching eggs", and of the number and weight of slaughtered birds in holdings with a minimum of "5 000 slaughterings during the previous year". A distinction is made between laying hens, table birds, turkeys, guinea fowl, geese and ducks.
For the poultry meat supply balances, the meat portion is calculated using hatchery data. The reason for this is that data on slaughterings also included imports of live poultry (for slaughter). External trade statistics could be used to draw conclusions about gross domestic production. However, external trade statistics in the poultry sector in particular are beset by uncertainties.
The calculation of gross domestic production using hatchery data yields more reliable results. This is the model used for hens and turkeys. Chick statistics are used to calculate the production of duck and goose meat.
Use is made of hatchery data by taking account of time-to-market (incubation and fattening period) by type of poultry, hatching and loss rates, imports and exports of chicks and average slaughter weight.