Palau Agricultural Census 1989 – Main Results

Please refer to the Explanatory Notes given at the end of the tables.

NUMBER AND AREA OF HOLDINGS

Number of holdings Total area (ha) 300 158

FRAGMENTATION OF HOLDINGS Number of parcels 814

AREA OF HOLDINGS BY TENURE OF LAND OPERATED Area (ha) Total 158 Area owned or in ownerlike possession 125 Area rented from others 20 Area under tribal or traditional communal tenure 13

Area LAND USE (ha) Total land 158 Land under crops 130 Land temporarily fallow 28

TEMPORARY CROPS Area (on arable land) (ha) Cassava 17 Taro (cocoyam) 74

Number of PERMANENT CROPS trees Bananas 4 617 Breadfruit 192 Oranges 53 Lemons/Limes 350 Coconuts 10 427 Guavas 181 Mangoes 149 Papayas 1 386 Soursop 161 Star Apple 51 Areca (Betel) nuts 62 958

Number Total LIVESTOCK of holdings number of reporting head Pigs 113 182 Chickens 131 1 527

Number of FERTILIZERS / PESTICIDES holdings reporting use Fertilizers 36 Pesticides 4

Palau Agricultural Census 1989 – Explanatory Notes

Historical outline: An agricultural census was conducted in Palau in 1978-79 as part of the agricultural census of the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands (TTPI). This census was not completed in all territories. Data from this census were subsequently considered of limited value for development planning purposes and a new agricultural census was proposed for Palau for implementation in 1989.

Organization: The census was organized by the Division of Agriculture of the Bureau of Resources and Development, and supported by the Office of Planning and Statistics of the Republic of Palau. Technical support was provided by the UN Development Program, together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN through a sub-regional project. The field work was carried out under the supervision of the Extension Service of the Division of Agriculture, Bureau of Resources and Development: one or two officials from each State (primary administrative subdivision) conducted the enumeration in their respective states.

Enumeration period: The census was carried out in 1989.

Reference date: Data on crops refer to the 12 months preceding the visit of the enumerator; reference date for employment is the month preceding the enumeration day; all other data refer to the enumeration day itself.

Definition: A household is considered reporting: · None or Minor Agricultural Activity if it manages less than 0.05 Ha of land under garden crops or less than 20 coconuts or banana or other tree crops. · Major Agricultural Activity if the household manages 0.05 Ha or more of land under garden crops or grows 20 or more coconut or banana or other tree crops. In this case the household is considered as operating a holding.

Coverage: The census was designed to cover all private households in Palau except those located in the South West Islands and the Rock Islands which were excluded on the grounds of their small population (88 persons) and the difficulties of transport and communication. Because of difficulties encountered by enumerators, the census was completed in only 7 of the 13 rural states of Palau, namely Angaur, Peleliu, Ngaremlengui, Ngardmau, Ngchesar, Ngiwal and Kayangel. A two-day pilot survey conducted for field staff training in Airai provided some partial results for this state too.

Frame: Preliminary information on number and location of households was obtained from the 1986 Population Census. An initial survey should have been undertaken in the state of Koror to identify and group None or Minor Agriculturally Active Households on the one hand, and Major Agriculturally Active Households on the other; after the preparation of an appropriate list, the households belonging to the second group should have been re-enumerated as part of the main enumeration; but the census in Koror was not undertaken and the exercise remained at a theoretical stage.

Methods: The census was carried out on a complete enumeration basis through direct interview supported by objective measurement of land parcels on a 25 percent quota sampling basis.

Data source: 1989 Palau Agricultural Census - Provisional Results for the States of Angaur, Peleliu, Ngaremlengui, Ngardmau, Ngchesar, Ngiwal, Kayangel and Airai - Report by A.D. Marshall, Project Leader of FAO/UNDP sub-regional project "Development of Agricultural Statistics".

Mailing address: Bureau of Resources and Development - Division of Agriculture - P.O. Box 460 - Koror - Republic of Palau - 96940.