From farmers to farms: PSA lists Aklan agri operators

KALIBO, Aklan — Households with members engaged in agricultural activities are the focus of the ongoing Updating of List of Agricultural Farm Operators (ULAFO) being conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in Aklan.

The ULAFO is a nationwide initiative that gathers key information on farmers and their farming operations.

Data collected will serve as the foundation for developing a statistical sampling frame for various PSA agricultural surveys.

The activity incorporates geospatial technologies using digital maps to capture household locations for creating geo-enabled list frames.

Covered agricultural activities include crop production, contract growing of trees, and raising or contract growing of livestock and poultry.

The PSA deployed 76 enumerators in Aklan to conduct house-to-house visits in 237 barangays not covered during the 2022 Census of Agriculture and Fisheries (CAF), which was conducted in 2023.

Enumerators are collecting parcel characteristics such as the number, area, and location of parcels; their main use; types of crops grown; kinds of livestock and poultry raised; and the corresponding inventories.

“All this information is vital to the proper selection of samples in agricultural surveys to ensure that results accurately reflect the current condition of the agriculture sector,” said Chief Statistical Specialist Antonet Catubuan.

Among the quarterly household-based agricultural surveys regularly conducted by the PSA are the Palay and Corn Production Survey, Crop Production Survey, and Backyard Livestock and Poultry Survey.

The PSA is urging all households to participate in ULAFO by providing complete and truthful responses to enumerators.

The agency also assured respondents that all information gathered will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, as mandated by law.