Methodology and Quality Update

Methodology and Quality last update

24/11/2024

Statistical Presentation

Data description  

The Livestock Statistics publication presents recent data on livestock, such as providing data on the number of livestock, birds and poultry, the number of organic livestock, the quantity and value of exports and imports of animal products and the value of loans granted to livestock at the level of the administrative regions of the Kingdom, in addition to a number of important data.
Livestock statistics are statistics based on a comprehensive inventory of agricultural holdings and administrative records data; data are collected on the main characteristics as follows:
•    Number of livestock (sheep, goats, cows, and camels).
•    Number of organic livestock (sheep, goats, cows, camels, and beehives).
•    Specialized cow farms, according to the type of project: dairy farms, calf fattening farms or combined dairy and calf fattening farms.
•    The area of the barns, their capacity, and the raw milk produced.
•    Dairy cows in the farms.
•    Fattening calves in the farms.
•    Commodity production requirements such as feed, veterinary medicines, and disinfectants.
•    Specialized broiler farms.
•    The area of the barns and their capacity.
•    Chicken produced.
•    Chicks used in production.
•    Laying hen farms, mothers, grandmothers, and specialized hatcheries.
•    The area of the barns and their capacity in laying hen farms, mothers, grandmothers, and specialized hatcheries.
•    Table eggs produced in laying hen farms, mothers and grandmothers, and specialized hatcheries.
•    Chicks produced in specialized hatchery farms.
•    Quantity and value of exports and imports of livestock.
•    Development loans granted to livestock.

Classification system

The following classifications are applied in Livestock Statistics:
The National Classification for Economic Activities (ISIC4):
 The statistical classification based on the International Standard of Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC4) is used to describe productive activities of an establishment.
Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (H.S.2017):
Commodity export and import statistics are adopted in its World Customs Organization (WCO) Classification, a table for the description and classification of goods that includes sub-items, their numeric codes, sections, and chapters, in accordance with the Harmonized System of Classification of Goods signed in Brussels.
Central Product Classification (CPC 2.1):
It is a classification of products, goods and services issued by the United Nations Statistical Commission. It is intended to be an international standard for organizing and analyzing data on industrial production, national accounts, trade, prices, etc.
Methodology and Quality are collected through interviews, so that outputs can be produces in accordance with all relevant classifications.
The classifications are available on the GASTAT’s website: www.stats.gov.sa

Sector coverage

Livestock statistics cover the agricultural economic sectors.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Terms and concepts of Livestock Statistics:
•    Holding:
It refers to an economic unit of the agricultural production of crops and livestock. Coming under one management, the holding covers all animals included in it and all lands used fully or in-part for agricultural production, regardless of the ownership, the legal form, or the area. The holding may be managed by one individual or a family and may also be managed by two or more individuals or families jointly. This management may be undertaken by a corporate body such as a company, a cooperative, a government agency or others. The holding land may consist of one or more parts included in one locality provided that all parts of the holding use the same production means, e.g., labor, or agricultural machinery and equipment, evidently and distinctly to the extent that these parts are considered one economic unit>
•    Holding Type:
There are two types of holdings: 
- Traditional holding (unregulated): It is the most common type of agricultural holding in the Kingdom. Traditional holdings do not require previous approval or licenses from concerned authorities, and their production activities may be crops based, livestock based, or both.
- Specialized holding (regulated): This type of holding includes the preapproved holdings (projects) that have acquired licenses from the concerned authorities after submitting technical and economic studies for the establishment of such holdings whether they are specialized in crops, livestock, poultry or fishery production, or projects that mainly adopt modern unconventional irrigation methods, the use of agricultural mechanization and modern technology in agricultural production and specialization in production with regard to open or protected agriculture, raising cows to produce milk or fattening calves, sheep and poultry.
•    Main activity of holding:
The main activity of a holding is the prevailing activity carried out by the holding, which is consistent with its economic revenues, such that it represents more than 50% of the annual income of that holding.
For the purposes of this agricultural census, the main activities of holdings have been divided into five categories: 
- Crop Holding: A holding in which the agricultural activity represents more than 50% of its annual income during an agricultural year, depending on various permanent and temporary winter and summer crops.
- Livestock Holding: A holding in which the livestock activity represents more than 50% of its annual income during an agricultural year, depending on various types of animal resources and livestock farmed on the holding (lamb, sheep, camel, cow, riding, and draught animals) and on beehives.
- Poultry Holding: The activity that represents more than 50% of the annual yield of tenure achieved during the agricultural year from various types of poultry (broiler chicken, white chicken, chicken mothers, chicken grandmothers, municipal poultry, and other poultry such as ostrich, duck, geese, quail, etc.)
- Fish Holding: It is the activity that represents more than 50% of the annual return of tenure achieved during the agricultural year from fish farming and cultivation in inland waters such as fish farms specialized in fish or shrimp production.
- Mixed Holding: When the activity at the holding is mixed and none of its components represent more than 50% of the holding’s annual income during an agricultural year, provided that the holding practices three or more different activities from the following crops: (livestock, poultry, or fish activities) and that each component represents less than 50% of the holding’s activity.
•    Agricultural year:
For the purposes of agricultural surveys, the crop production agricultural year starts on March 1st and ends on February 28th of the following year. As for livestock and poultry numbers, December 31st is considered the reference date for enumerating various types of animals and poultry on the holdings.
•    Agricultural production: 
The plant production of an agricultural holding, such as crops, vegetables, and evergreen trees; as well as all animal and livestock production. It includes grains, fodder, open-field and protected vegetables, cut flowers, fruits (including dates), as well as sheep, goat, cow, and camel count; milk and dairy products, number of boiler chicken, table eggs, chicks, hatchery eggs, fish, ostrich and quail eggs and meat, and amount of rabbit meat and honey, in addition to secondary products, such as organic fertilizers and ostrich feathers and skin.
•    Type of specialized agricultural project: 
For agricultural surveys, specialized projects have been divided into 9 types as follows:
- Specialized cow farms:
These are farms (projects) dedicated to raising cows for commercial purposes, whether for dairy production and its derivatives or for fattening calves. They include stables, barns for breeding, automatic milking machine, and facilities such as a cooling chamber or tank, a fodder warehouse... etc. 
- Broiler farms:
They are farms (projects) dedicated to raising chickens for the purpose of meat production and breeding breeds that have the ability to convert feed into meat.
- Laying hens farms:
They are farms (projects) dedicated to egg production and breeds are raised in them with a high ability to convert feed into eggs.
- Farms of broiler chicken mothers:
They are farms (projects) dedicated to the production of hatching eggs that are used for the production of broiler chickens.
- Farms of grandmothers of laying hens:
They are farms (projects) dedicated to the production of hatching eggs that are used for the production of laying hens.
- Farms of broiler chicken grandmothers:
They are farms (projects) dedicated to the production of hatching eggs that are used for the production of broiler chicken mothers.
- Farms of mothers of laying hens:
They are farms (projects) dedicated to the production of hatching eggs that are used for the production of laying hens.
- Hatchery farms:
Projects for producing different types of laying or broiler chicks or mother chickens, whether the used hatching eggs are produced by those projects, purchased from other local projects, or imported from abroad.
- Indoor and marine aquaculture farms:
They are farms (projects) dedicated to fish production, containing ponds or small lakes for fish farming within the holding, whether using freshwater or saltwater, and whether the aim of the farming is reproduction or fish production.
- Other specialized farms (projects):
They are farms (projects) specialized differently from the aforementioned, such as being dedicated to plant production regardless of the type of production, or being specialized in camel, sheep, goat, ostrich, pigeon, rabbit, or quail production, with the necessity of specifying the type of project.
•    Livestock: 
Livestock has several types, which are as follows:
- Lamb:
It is a sheep that have wool covering their bodies and includes the following breeds: (Najdi lamb, Nuaimi lamb and Hari lamb) in addition to other breeds.
- Goats:
It is a sheep whose body is covered with hair and includes the following breeds: (Local goats, foreign goats, and hybrid goats).
- Camels:
Camels include the following breeds: (Local camels, foreign camels, and hybrid camels).
- Cows:
Cows include the following breeds: (Local cows, foreign cows, and hybrid cows).
•    Dairy cows:
They are female animals, whether sheep, goats, cows or camels, whose age has reached puberty and sexual maturity to be able to conceive and give birth and become able to produce milk after birth.
•    Draught, mount, and other animals:
They are animals produced for work in the holding by riding them or using them to pull carts or plow and are represented by donkeys, mules, horses.
- Note: Pets such as dogs and cats are not considered draught, riding, or other animals and their data are not completed in the agricultural survey forms.
•    Domestic poultry in traditional holdings:
Includes all poultry and birds in holdings not specialized in poultry production such as chickens, pigeons, ducks, quails, rabbits ... 
•    Raw milk:
It is a liquid nutrient excreted from female dairy animals (lamb, goat, cows, and camels), and milk is the main component of dairy products such as curd, yogurt, cream, cheese, butter, dried milk, etc.
•    Farm capacity:
The maximum possible number of birds or animals that can be accommodated and raised on the farm during a day in the year during the survey year.
•    Barns:
It is the place designated for raising animals or domestic birds, and it may be in the form of other designated buildings.
•    Cycles throughout the year for "poultry":
It is the number of productive cycles that the farmer raised during the survey year, and its period extends from the beginning of chick breeding (one day old) until the end of marketing the producing poultry to sales outlets.
•    organic fertilizer:
It is a natural fertilizer (manure) produced from livestock or poultry during the breeding process, and is used in fertilizing agricultural land, which is a food source for plants as an alternative to the use of chemical fertilizers because it contains a high percentage of nitrogen.
•    Table eggs: 
It is an egg intended for human eating and a product from laying hens farms.
•    Hatching eggs (fertilized): 
It is a pollinated egg produced from farms of mothers and grandmothers of layer chicken and used in hatcheries to produce chicks for farms of broiler and layer chicken as well as mothers of layer chicken and broiler chickens. 

Statistical unit

Statistical Unit in Livestock Statistics - Agricultural holdings.

Statistical population

The Statistical Society for Livestock Statistics – consists of all agricultural holdings at the level of the 13 administrative regions in Saudi Arabia.

Reference area

The survey sample is a representative sample for Saudi Arabia's 13 administrative regions.

Time coverage

The data covers the year 2023>

Base period

Not applicable. 

Unit of measure

•    Most results are measured by number such as: Numbers of livestock.
•    Some are measured in square meters, such as the size of barns.
•    Some indicators are calculated in rials, such as the value of exports and imports.

Reference period

References period to the variables or dataset as following:
The data for livestock statistics are as follows:
•    Livestock and poultry during the reference year.
•    Livestock and poultry production is prepared on the day (December 31st) of the reference year.
•    Annual recorded data is provided by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the Agricultural Development Fund, as well as data from the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, and the Central Bank of Saudi Arabia. 

Confidentiality 

Confidentiality - policy

According to the Royal Decree No. 23 dated 07-12-1397, data must always be kept confidential, and must be used by GASTAT only for statistical purposes.
Therefore, the data are protected in the data servers of the Authority.

Confidentiality - data treatment

Data are displayed in appropriate tables to facilitate its summarization, comprehension, results extraction, comparison with other data and coming up with statistical connotations for the study community. It is also easier to check tables without the need to see the original questionnaire, which usually include data like names and addresses of individuals, names of data providers, which violates the confidentiality of statistical data.
“Anonymity of data” is one of the most important procedures. To keep data confidential, GASTAT removed personal information of individuals, households, or business entities in a way that does not allow the identification of the respondent either directly (by name, address, contact number, identity number etc.) or indirectly (by combining different - especially rare - characteristics of respondents: age, occupation, education etc.).

Release policy

Release calendar

The livestock statistics are added to the statistical calendar.

Release calendar access

The release calendar is available at: https://www.stats.gov.sa/statistical-calendar-releases

User access

One of GASTAT’s objectives is to better meet its clients' needs, so it immediately provides them with the publication's results once the livestock statistics are published.
 It also receives questions and inquiries of the clients about the Publication and its results through various communication channels, such as:
•    GASTAT official website:    www.stats.gov.sa
•    GASTAT official e-mail address:  info@stats.gov.sa
•    Client support e-mail:  info@stats.gov.sa
•    Official visits to GASTAT’s official head office in Riyadh or one of its branches in Saudi Arabia.
•    Official letters.
•    Statistical telephone: (199009)

Frequency of dissemination

Annual. 

Accessibility and clarity

News release

The announcements for each publication are available on the statistical calendar as mentioned in 7.2. The press releases can be viewed on the website of GASTAT on the link: https://stats.gov.sa/news

Publications

GASTAT issues the livestock statistics on a regular basis within a pre-prepared dissemination plan and are published on GASTAT’s website. GASTAT is keen to publish its publications in a way that serves all users of different types, including publications in different formats that contain (publication tables, data graphs, indicators, Methodology and Quality report, and questionnaires) in both English and Arabic.
The results of livestock statistics are available at the link: https://www.stats.gov.sa/statistics

On-line database

Not available.

Micro-data access 

Microdata are unit-level data obtained from sample surveys, censuses, and administrative systems. They provide information about characteristics of individuals or entities such as: households, business enterprises, facilities, farms, or even geographical areas such as: villages or towns. 
The different types of microdata files to meet different information needs:
•    Public use: 
It consists of sets of records containing information on individuals, households, or business entities anonymized in such a way that the respondent cannot be identified either directly such as: (name, address, contact number, identity number etc.) or indirectly (by combining different - especially rare - characteristics of respondents) such as: (age, occupation, education etc.).
•    Scientific use: 
These files established based on specific methodology asked by data requester to extract the datasets with specific characteristics used for strategic studies and decision making as well scientific research purposes on individuals, households, and enterprises with no direct identifiers, which have been subject to control methods to protect confidentiality.
Eligible users can access microdata sets through secure interface built-in by GASTAT called “Etaha” with specific documentary requirements.

Other

Not available.

Documentation on methodology

Framework of Agricultural Statistics: The tabulations of raw data for agricultural statistics were based on classification and coding inputs made during the data collection process and were classified according to the World Program for Agricultural Statistics 2020 of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
https://www.fao.org/3/cb1213t/cb1213t.pdf

Quality documentation

Quality documentation covers the documentation of methods and standards for evaluating, measuring, and controlling the quality of statistical processes and outputs, which are based on quality principles and standards such as: Relevance, accuracy, reliability, timeliness, punctuality, accessibility, clarity, comparability, and consistency.

Quality management

Quality assurance

GASTAT takes the following principles into consideration: Impartiality, user-oriented, quality of processes and outputs, effectiveness of statistical processes, and reducing the workload of respondents. 
The validity of data is verified through procedures and quality controls that are implemented during the process at different stages such as: (data entry, data collection, and other final controls).

Quality assessment

GASTAT performs all statistical activities according to a national model (Generic Statistical Business Process Model – GSBPM). According to the GSBPM, the final phase of statistical activities is overall evaluation using information gathered in each phase or sub-process. This information is used to prepare the evaluation report which outlines all the quality issues related to the specific statistical activity and serves as input for improvement actions.

Relevance 

User needs 

Internal users in the GASTAT for livestock statistics data:
Statistics of national accounts.
External users and major beneficiaries for livestock statistics data, include:
•    Government entities.
•    Regional and international organizations.
•    Research institutions.
•    Media.
•    Individuals.

The disseminated key variables that mostly used by key users:

User satisfaction

Not available.

Completeness 

Livestock statistics data are based on comprehensive agricultural inventory and administrative records data to provide comprehensive information on livestock data in Saudi Arabia and data in complete status.

Accuracy and reliability 

Overall accuracy

•    The data collected is improved through the researchers, that have been selected according to a set of practical and objective criteria and training program related to the field of work.
•    Alert, prevention, and correction rules are applied during the data collection process on the electronic questionnaire for livestock statistics to improve data quality.
•    Data is checked with previous years to identify any significant changes in the data.
•    The internal consistency of the data is checked before it is finalized.
The links between variables are checked and coherence between different data series is confirmed.

Timeliness and punctuality 

Timeliness 

GASTAT uses the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) issued by the International Monetary Fund. According to this Standard, all statistics agencies are required to publish data on an annual basis, and with a delay of not more than mid of year (180 days) after the end of the reference period. If the data are from different source, they may be published in a different frequency.

Punctuality

Publication takes place in accordance with published release dates for 
livestock statistics in GASTAT webpage. The data are available at the expected time, as scheduled in the statistical release calendar, If the publication is delayed, reasons shall be provided.

Coherence and comparability

Comparability - geographical

The data is fully geographically comparable

Comparability - over time 

Data is fully comparable.

Coherence- cross domain 

Not applicable. 

Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics 

Not applicable. 

Coherence- National Accounts 

Not applicable. 

Coherence - internal 

Livestock statistics have full internal coherence, as they are all based on the same corpus of microdata, and they are calculated using the same estimation methods.

Resources used 

Data revision

Data revision - policy

Not applicable, only final results will be published.

Data revision - practice

Not applicable, only final results will be published.

Statistical processing

Source data

Livestock statistics data are based on two sources:
First source: Comprehensive inventory survey of agricultural holdings:
The disseminated key variables for the inventory data are:
•    Number of livestock (sheep, goats, camels, cows).
•    Number of domestic poultry by type, as well as the number of eggs produced from domestic poultry.
•    Number of specialized cow farms, the number of barns, their area, and the capacity of farms.
•    Number of cows by gender and age category, and the number of milking females on cow farms for all breeds.
•    The produced, purchased, in cow farms according to age category.
•    Number of produced and purchased calves.
•    Total milk production from cows.
•    Quantity of fodder used in production on cow farms by type.
•    The quantity of barley and bran used in production on cow farms.
•    Quantity of salts, vitamins, veterinary medicines, and disinfectants used in production on cow farms.
•    Number of specialized broiler chicken farms, the number of barns, their area, and the capacity.
•    The number of chickens produced.
•     Number of broiler chicks used in production.
•    Number of laying hen farms, mother and grandmothers, specialized hatcheries farms, and the number of barns, their area, and the capacity.
•    Number of table eggs produced in laying hen farms, mothers and grandmothers, and specialized hatcheries.
•    Chicks produced in specialized hatchery farms.
Second source: Recorded data from government agencies:
•    Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
•    Agricultural Development Fund.
•    General Authority for Zakat, Tax and Customs.
The main published variables from the administrative data source are:
•    Organic livestock numbers of sheep, goats, cows, camels, and beehives.
•    Quantity and value of exports and imports of livestock.
•    Development loans granted for livestock.

Frequency of data collection 

Annual.

Data collection

Data collection from survey:
Data for the livestock statistics is collected through Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI), Computer-Assisted Web Interviews (CAWI), and Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews (CAPI).
Data collection from administrative records:
In coordination with the relevant departments of the Authority for the implementation of the survey and the data collection department, the data on the livestock statistics publication are obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the Agricultural Development Fund, and the General Authority for Zakat, Tax and Customs.
The data is stored in the authority's databases after undergoing auditing and review processes following approved statistical methods and recognized quality standards. If errors or discrepancies are discovered, the data is cross-referenced with the data source for correction or clarification.

Data validation

Data are reviewed and matched to ensure their accuracy and precision in a way that suits their nature with the aim of giving the presented statistics quality and accuracy. 
The data of the current year publication are compared with the data of the previous year to ensure their integrity and consistency in preparation for processing data and extracting and reviewing results.
In addition to the data processing and tabulation to check their accuracy, all the outputs are stored and uploaded to the database after being calculated by GASTAT to be reviewed and processed by specialists in (Environment, Agriculture, and Energy Statistics Department) through modern technologies and software designed for this purpose.

Data compilation

Data Coding:
In a comprehensive agricultural inventory, researchers collect from respondents a detailed description of fields. This information is then coded in-house by an automated process, which is reviewed by a small-dedicated team of coding experts using a series of consistency checks.
Data editing:
Specialists of Environment, Agriculture, and Energy Statistics Department have processed and analyzed data in this stage, and this step was based on the following measures:
•    Sorting and arranging data in groups or different categories in a serial order.
•    Summarizing detailed data into key points or data.
•    Combining many data segments and ensuring their interconnection.
•    Processing incomplete or missing data.
•    Processing illogical data.
•    Converting data into statistically significant data.
•    Arranging, presenting, and interpreting data.
Compensation (for non-response cases or incomplete datasets):
The statistical inference method is used to compensate for lost values by using some simple mathematical operations such as "averages".
Extrapolation and weighting: 
After processing the data collected from the responding holdings, the weights of the comprehensive agricultural inventory indicators were created by following two main steps in creating the weights, which are: 
•    Adjustment of non-response.
•    Calibration weight.

Adjustment

Not applicable, only final results will be published.