The Agriculture Statistics Division is responsible for the collection, compilation and dissemination of information on periodic food crop and livestock surveys. Its primary objective is to estimate local food production. Information is also collected on prices, acreage, stocks, value of sales, disposals and acquisitions of animals, employment numbers and farming constraints. Agriculture Statistics Division Pamphlet.pdf
Agriculture Field Surveys conducted by the Central Statistical Office (CSO):
Crops
Livestock
Poultry
Other
Food crop 🌾
Small ruminants (sheep 🐑, goat 🐐, rabbit 🐇 )
Duck 🦆
Aquaculture (fish farming) 🐟
Pineapple 🍍
Pig 🐖
Broilers 🐔
Apiculture (Beekeeping) 🐝
Pawpaw
Public/Private Slaughterhouses 🥩
Table eggs 🥚
Christophene (chayote)
Livestock feed
Watercress
How many farms are there in Trinidad and Tobago?
According to the most recent agricultural census data, in 2004 there were 18,951 holdings in Trinidad and Tobago, occupying nearly 84,990 hectares. The type of land use was primarily cultivated cropland (tree, non-tree, ornamental plants…etc) with more than half or 58.8 % of tenure attributed to individuals, households and sole proprietorships.
Crops are plants that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. Crop cultivation involves a number of important activities, namely preparation of soil, sowing, adding manure and fertilizers, irrigation, weeding, harvesting and proper storage to ensure that crops achieve the best yield. Food crops form an essential part of the diets of humans and are essential in strengthening global food security in the medium and long term. The following datasets on selected series of crop production are available for download.
Poultry are domesticated avian species (e.g. chickens, turkeys, ducks… etc.) that can be raised for eggs, meat and/or feathers. Poultry farming has become one the most important aspects of modern agriculture since egg and meat forms part of a healthy diet for larger population all over the world. The following datasets on selected series for poultry and egg production and sales are available for download.
Globally, livestock agriculture focuses on the raising and maintaining livestock, primarily for the purposes of producing meat, milk and eggs. Animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs and goats which are kept on a farm are referred to as livestock. Livestock plays a major role in enhancing the food security and nutrition of the world population as well as the overall welfare of the lives of farmers in developing countries.
It is to be noted that the FAO has advised that there are many factors which affect the comparability of statistics of livestock numbers between countries. Differences are mainly due to the coverage of data, the date and frequency of enumeration and the classification of animals. The following datasets on selected series for livestock commodities are available for download.
Aquaculture can be defined as the culturing/farming of aquatic organisms under captive conditions, using techniques designed to increase the production of the organisms in question beyond the natural capacity of the environment. It also encompasses individual, corporate or state ownership of the organism being reared and harvested. For an activity to be classified as aquaculture, all three components (the cultured organism, the practice, and ownership of the cultured organism must be fulfilled). Some of the popular aquatic organisms farmed in Trinidad include Tilapia, Cascadura, Crayfish/Prawns and a variety of Ornamental fishes. While the most common farming systems include Earthen Ponds and Plastic/Glass tanks. The following datasets on selected series for aquaculture activities are available for download.
The collection of honey from the forest is an age old practice. Apiculture is the technical term for beekeeping. It involves the maintenance of bee colonies, commonly in man-made hives, by humans, usually located or kept in an apiary or “bee yard”. Honey bees convert nectar of flowers into honey and store them in the combs of these hives. Additionally, beekeeping fosters positive ecological consequences as bees’ act a pollinators in the fertilization process which play a vital role in the production of most fruit and fodder crops. The following datasets on selected series for apiculture are available for download.
⇒ the cultivation of tree crops, field crops, vegetable and other food crops, nurseries and horticultural crops, (whether grown in the open or under cover), grasses and all other fodder crops;
⇒ the production of cocoa, coffee, copra and the processing of such products;
⇒ the raising of livestock and poultry and cultivation of beehives and the production of livestock and poultry products and honey;
⇒ the growing of forestry products where cultivated as crops;
⇒ the cultivation of fish, where such activity is carried out as an ancillary activity on the holding.
Parcel
parcel is a contiguous piece of land held under one form of tenure, whether or not such land is cut by a road, river or administrative boundary. As such a parcel may comprise the entire holding, or may be part of a holding.
Holder
The holder is the civil person (individual, joint partnership or household) or the entity (corporation, co-operative, government or state enterprise) that exercises management control over the agricultural holding, and makes the major decisions regarding the use of resources and the disposal of output. The holder may exercise such technical and economic decision making directly or delegate such responsibilities related to day-to-day management of the holding to a hired manager.
Holding
The agricultural holding is defined as an economic unit of agricultural production, comprising all livestock kept, and all lands used wholly or partly for agricultural production, and operated under a single management without regard to title, legal status, size or location.
The Holding
Single management may be exercised by an individual or household, jointly by two or more individuals or households, or by a juridical person such as a corporation, co-operative, or government ministry of department or a state enterprise, or other quasi-government agency. Thus defined, a holding may be owned, leased, rented or operated under some form of tenure, including squatting. It may comprise a landless farm i.e. livestock or poultry kept for agricultural production, even though the holder neither owns nor rents any land on which such livestock are being raised. It may range in size from a lot to several hectares, and may be a single compact block of land, or may comprise several parcels of land, which may or may not be located in the same area.
Also, for any piece of land to be identified as a holding, it must have associated with it, at the time of enumeration, at least:(a) Two (2) or more heads of cattle or buffalo or sheep or goats or pigs or any other species of livestock (or one (1) head of any two (2) types of livestock) being raised mainly for commercial purposes excluding race horses and dogs;(b) A flock of at least twelve (12) poultry, which are being raised mainly for commercial purposes; or(c) One-eighth (1/8) of an acre of land used for the cultivation of crops, mainly for commercial purposes.Thus defined, backyard gardens on which crops are being grown mainly for home consumption will not be included, but where hydroponics techniques are being used to produce crops for commercial purposes, such places will be included as holdings regardless of the size of the operation.
Agricultural Production for Home Use
Nationally, 42.0% of all households in Trinidad and Tobago were engaged in some form of agricultural production for home use. When these households were disaggregated by island the majority 94.7 % were found in Trinidad and 5.3% in Tobago. Amongst persons mainly responsible for agricultural production for home use, 67.9 % were males and 32.1% females. (Source: CSO Agriculture Census 2004)
Census of Agriculture
The census is used to collect data relating mainly to the organization and structure of agriculture as well as the use of agricultural resources, namely manpower, land and water, livestock, machinery and other fixed assets and intermediate inputs.
The 2004 Agricultural Census was conducted during the period 6th July to 15th August 2004 and covered all holdings in Trinidad and Tobago.
This survey was initiated in Trinidad in 1983 and includes the recording of all cultivation characteristics from 65 segments today. The survey design is ’area sampling’. The Tobago survey was initiated in July 2005 using a list frame from the 2004 Agriculture Census of all food crop farmers in Tobago. It is conducted on a bi-monthly basis and covers 29 major food crops under the following categories; vegetables, root crops and pulses. Data collected are; area under cultivation, quantity harvested, average farm gate prices and farm employment.
These surveys were initiated in 2002 in Trinidad. Data is collected through a census using a list frame on a quarterly basis. Data collected are; area under cultivation, quantity harvested, average farm gate prices, farm employment by type of worker. These surveys are not done in Tobago.
This survey began in 1971. Data is collected through a census using a list frame on a quarterly basis. Data collected are; number, type and weight of pigs, value of sales by type of disposal, prices of pork by type of marketing outlet, farm employment and production related problems.
This survey began in 2006 and is based on a list frame obtained from the 2004 Agriculture census. Information is collected on goats, sheep and rabbits. The survey design is a census of large farms and a 10% sample of small farms. Data is collected on: Population by type, breeding status and sex, acquisitions and disposals by type, number, live weight by ruminant type, sales by type of ruminant, farm employment and farming constraints.
This survey began in 1969. The revised survey design utilizes a census of all farms. It is conducted 3 times per year. Data is collected on; Number of chicks obtained by farmers for broiler production, number, live weight & value of broilers sold, number of farms by size and capacity, number of broilers sold by type of marketing outlet and farm employment.
This survey began in 1969. The revised survey design utilizes a census of all farms. It is conducted 3 times per year. Data is collected on Total Production and sales. Sales data is disaggregated by wholesale and retail. Employment is also collected.
This survey began in 2012. Data is collected through a census using a list frame on a bi-annual basis. Data is collected on: total number of farms, pens and area of pens, type of ducks on farms, acquisitions of ducklings by type and source, number and live weight of ducks disposed with average price per kg. Information is also collected on employment and farming constraints.
This survey began in 2007. Data is collected through a census using a list frame on a bi-annual basis. Data is collected on: the number of farmers by age and sex, Number of farms located in region by size of farm, Type of farming system used by total area, aquaculture stock by type of aquatic species and quantity of aquaculture products sold.
This survey began in 2007. Data is collected through a census using a list frame on a bi-annual basis.
Data is collected on: the number of farmers by age and sex, Number of apiaries and colonies located in region by size, Type of beekeeping activity practiced, quantity of products produced and sold, farm employment and farming constraints.
This survey began in 1976. Data is collected through a census using a list frame on a quarterly basis. Data is collected on: total production and ex-factory prices of various feeds produced. These have been classified into; Poultry Feeds, Pig Feeds, and Diary and Specialty Feeds.
The public survey began in 1959. Data is collected on: total number of animals slaughtered by type, live weight and dressed carcass weight.
Data is received on a quarterly basis from the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries - Planning Division. For rice, information is collected on harvest, and for milk, fresh production is recorded.
Using Official Statistics for SDGs
Indicators
1.4.2 Proportion of total adult population with secure tenure rights to land, (a) with legally recognized documentation, and (b) who perceive their rights to land as secure, by sex and type of tenure
1.5.2 Direct disaster economic loss in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP)
2.1.1 Prevalence of undernourishment
2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)
2.3.1 Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/ forestry enterprise size
2.3.2 Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status
2.4.1 Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agricultural practices
2.5.1 Number of plant and animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium or long-term conservation facilities
2.5.2 Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction
2.a.1 The agriculture orientation index for government expenditures
2.a.2 Total official flows (official development assistance plus other official flows) to the agriculture sector
2.b.1 Agricultural export subsidies
2.c.1 Indicator of food price anomalies
5.a.1 (a) Proportion of total agricultural population with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land, by sex; and b) share of women among owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land, by type of tenure10.4.1 Labour share of GDP
Crops
Trinidad Annual Harvested Food Crop 1986-1999; 2014-2023.xlsx 
Livestock
Aquaculture (Fish farming)
Information on surveys in collection
