Firms urged to take part in agricultural census

JAKARTA (JP): Agricultural companies are being urged to be cooperative subjects in the second agricultural census, a follow up to the one administered last October, by giving correct answers in the questionnaires to be distributed from next month to October.

"You are expected to correctly answer the questions asked by census officers who will come to you and not to make things difficult for them," said Ery Chayaridipura, the chairman of the city development planning agency (BAPPEDA).

He made the comment in a meeting with representatives of agricultural companies at the Trade Mart building in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, yesterday.

Agricultural companies here are processing companies as well as service companies in farming, including animal husbandry, fishery, forestry, plantation businesses.

Sukayat Darmo Suwito of the Central Bureau of Statistics said that the questions to be asked in the census will address staff size, quantity and kind of fertilizers and medicines used, where the products are marketed and some finance-related questions.

Poniman Suhartono, head of the city bureau of statistics, said the second-phase census would include data gathered from slaughter houses, fish auction houses and cold storage facilities.

Poniman said his office has prepared 253 officers to administer the census.

He added that although the agricultural sector contributes less than one percent of the total revenue from the business sector in the city, agricultural companies should not belittle the census. (arf)