The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) launched the 2022 Census on Agriculture and Fisheries (CAF) in provinces and barangays on Monday, 4 September.

Target respondents for the 2022 CAF are operators of crops, livestock, poultry, insects/worm culturing, aquaculture, and/or fishing activity from 1 January to 31 December 2022, while at the barangay level will be the barangay chairpersons or any incumbent barangay official.

Data collected from the census, which will run until 25 October this year, will serve as relevant bases for public leaders to create policies, plans, and programs to enhance the Philippines' socio-economic status.

The 2022 CAF will also provide an inventory of agricultural and fishery resources, basic information on crops and livestock, statistics on land distribution and operations, benchmarks for measuring progress, data for local area planning, a sampling frame for surveys, information for monitoring progress toward Sustainable Development Goals, and data needed by the United Nations Organizations for international comparability and observing the global food situation.

"This milestone event signified the beginning of a comprehensive household and barangay data collection process. It underscores the PSA's commitment to empowering our agricultural and fisheries sectors with accurate information, actionable insights, and a collective vision for the future," said PSA Undersecretary and National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa during the 2022 CAF press conference.

The provinces of Pangasinan, Bukidnon, and Iloilo will have full coverage under the 2022 CAF due to the areas' production volume and value in the country's agriculture industry. Meanwhile, PSA enumerators will also make their rounds in cities, where urban farms and community gardens flourish.

In line with the government agency's bid for efficiency and accuracy, the PSA partnered with actress Bea Alonzo, who is also the proprietor of Beati Firma in Iba, Zambales, to encourage the farmers and fisherfolks to participate in the census.

"We want to achieve 'yung mileage, information, education campaign dito sa ating census. As you know, when we go to each of the houses during census time, not all respondents are so welcoming. With Bea here, she will help us," PSA Deputy National Statistician Minerva Eloisa Esquivias said.

"Alam ko po mga challenges ng farming: Masamang panahon, bagyo po talaga, minsan bigla na lang may babagsak na mga puno, minsan po mataas ang presyo ng binhi. So, 'yun po ang challenges sa pagiging farmer," Alonzo said.

Other modern steps that the PSA took to ensure the success of the 2022 CAF is equipping its enumerators with tablets to expedite the data collection and compiling process. It'll also be the first time the government agency will use artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms developed by the Department of Science and Technology's Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) to detect, map, and estimate the area for selected crops and aquafarms.

Throughout the data collection period, the PSA also advises respondents to be vigilant in recognizing their legitimate numerators before giving out any relevant information about themselves, their families, and their properties.

The PSA aims to release data gathered from 2022 CAF in the first quarter of 2024.

The 2022 CAF is the seventh in PSA's decennial agricultural and fisheries census series and is conducted every 10 years.