Special studies required to establish the feasibility of such a methodology should be taken up by a team comprising representatives from the Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (IASRI), Directorate of Economics and Statistic (DES), Field Operations Divisions of National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) and some states growing horticultural crops, the Commission recommended.

It added that suitable methodology for estimation of production of crops such as mushroom, herbs and floriculture needed to be developed and this too should be entrusted to the expert team. In its interim report on revamping the Indian statistical system, the NSC headed by former RBI governor C Rangarajan has also stressed the need for the agriculture ministry and National Crop Forecasting Centre (NCFC) to put in place an objective method of forecasting crop production.

The NCFC should be adequately strengthened with professional statisticians and experts in other related fields, it said. The programme of forecasting agricultural output using space, agrometerology and land based observations should be actively pursued. In addition, states should be assisted by the Centre to adopt the objective techniques developed by NCFC.

On the issue of crop production, the Commission said that states should take necessary measures to ensure that crop cutting surveys under the General Crop Estimation Survey was carried out strictly according to the prescribed programme.

Efforts should be made to reduce the diversity of agencies involved in field work and agricultural and statistical personnel should be used for better control of field operations.

The Commission pointed out that the scheme of Improvement of Crop Statistics should be strengthened and its survey design modified to provide alternative all India estimates of crop area and production. State governments should ensure that computerisation of land records was completed expeditiously, the Commission added.