Glossary:Farm structure survey (FSS)
From Statistics Explained
The basic Farm structure survey, abbreviated as FSS, also known as Survey on the structure of agricultural holdings is carried out by all European Union Member States every 10 years (the full scope being the agricultural census) with intermediate sample surveys being carried out three times between the basic surveys.
The Member States collect information from individual agricultural holdings and, observing strict rules of confidentiality, data are forwarded to Eurostat. The information collected in the FSS covers land use, livestock numbers, rural development, management and farm labour input (including the age, gender and relationship to the holder of the agricultural holding). The survey data can then be aggregated by different geographic levels (Member States, regions, and for basic surveys also district level). The data can also be arranged by size class, area status, legal status of the holding, objective zone and farm type.
The basic unit underlying the FSS is the agricultural holding: a technical-economic unit, under single management, engaged in agricultural production. The FSS covers all agricultural holdings with a utilised agricultural area of at least one hectare (ha) and also those holdings with a UAA of less than 1 ha where their market production exceeds certain natural thresholds.
The legal basis for the FSS is Regulation 1166/2008 of 19 November 2008 on farm structure surveys and the survey on agricultural production methods, which repealed Council Regulation 571/88
Further Eurostat information
- Regulation 1166/2008 of 19 November 2008 on farm structure surveys and the survey on agricultural production methods (legal text)
- Regulation 1200/2009 of 30 November 2009 implementing Regulation 1166/2008 on farm structure surveys and the survey on agricultural production methods, as regards livestock unit coefficients and definitions of the characteristics (legal text)
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