The sample design of the Production Methods and the Environment module survey is based on the sample of the current Survey of Agricultural Holdings, so firstly given the design of the current Survey. The main purpose of the Survey of Agricultural Holdings as well as Production Methods and the Environment module is to produce official indicators in line with agricultural sector. The survey allows the compilation of statistics on crops and animal husbandry, of which information annual and permanent crops, sown area, average yield of annual crops, farming practices and their linkages with the natural environment, crop and livestock production methods, access to and use of information services, infrastructure and communal resources and etc. Statistical tables are accessible through the following link: https://www.geostat.ge/en/modules/categories/196/agriculture.
Production Methods and the Environment Module is part of main Survey of Agricultural Holdings. One round of the main survey (reference year) includes 5 inquiries: The Inception interview is carried out using the inception questionnaire during the period of January-February of the reference year. During this interview the sampled holdings are identified and situation existing at the holding as of first January is recorded. I, II and III quarter interviews are conducted by means of quarterly questionnaire at the beginning of the following month of the corresponding quarter of the reference year. Based on these surveys, the information about agricultural activities during the corresponding quarter is collected. The final interview is conducted by means of final questionnaire in January of the following year of the reference year. During this interview, the information about agricultural activities at the holding during IV quarter of the reference year and the summery information about agricultural activities at the holding during the whole reference year (from 1 January to 31 December of the previous year) are collected. During all five interviews, the same agricultural holdings (about 12000) are interviewed which are selected by a two-stage stratified cluster random sampling procedure out of about 642 000 agricultural holdings operated in Georgia. On the first stage, clusters (settlements) are selected. On the second stage, holdings are selected within the selected clusters.
The survey completely covers the territory of Georgia, excluding the occupied territories of Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region. Each year a new sample is selected based on a rotational design (on a 3-year basis). In particular, every year approximately 4000 holdings out of the 12000 sampled holdings are replaced by new holdings. Sampled holdings participate in the survey for 3 years. Large agricultural holdings are sampled every year with complete coverage. The statistical unit of the survey is the agricultural holding (family holdings and agricultural enterprises) - which is defined as an economic unit of agricultural production under single management comprising all livestock kept and all land used wholly or partly for agricultural production purposes, without regard to title, legal form or size. Agricultural activities are conducted under the supervision of a holder (in case of households - a member of household, in case of agricultural enterprises - director or authorized person), who is responsible for making decisions and takes all economic risks and expenses related to agricultural activities. More than 270 interviewers participate in the survey fieldwork. For the Data collection, computer-assisted personal interviewing method (CAPI) is used in the family holdings. In case of agricultural enterprises, the authorized persons of the enterprises (respondent) fill the electronic (online) questionnaires by themselves (CAWI). Coordination of the interviewers and the primary control of the collected data during the field is carried out by coordinators. Their working area covers several municipalities. The function of the coordinators also includes consultation for agricultural enterprises on methodological and technical issues related to the survey. Production Methods and Environment module field work was carried out from May 5th to May 20th of 2022. 200 field staff participated in the survey, 22 of which were field supervisors. In total 5,880 agricultural holdings were selected for the PME survey. Such are the extra-large farms that are continuously participating in the survey and the third rotation farms that have been participating in the survey since 2019. Currently 943 extra-large farms and 3,899 third rotation farms are participating in the survey. Therefore, we have a total of 4,842 farm data for the last three years. The rest of the holdings will be selected from the first rotation clusters where interviews have been conducted for two years. In particular, using simple random sampling approximately 30% of the working clusters of the first rotation are selected in each stratum. This will give us about 1,038 farms. A total of about 5,880 farms will be selected.