From August 5 to 7, the Bureau of National Statistics is hosting an international meeting dedicated to preparations for the upcoming agricultural census. The event is being organized with the active support of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Representatives from the United States are participating in the meeting, including staff from the International Programs Office of USDA-NASS, Wagner William DeVito and Gottshall Christopher, the head of the USDA office in Central Asia, Lucas Blauestein, as well as representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Astana.

The goal of the meeting is to discuss the experiences and best practices accumulated during the last agricultural census in the United States, as well as the stages of preparation for the agricultural census in Kazakhstan. Participants are addressing issues related to data quality and control, as well as lessons learned.

Maxat Turlubayev, Head of the Bureau of National Statistics, emphasized the importance of international experience for Kazakhstan:

«At the meeting we are gaining valuable knowledge and experience from the US agricultural census. This will help us to significantly improve the quality and completeness of agricultural data, which is key for effective planning and development of the agricultural sector of our country»

During the three-day discussion, topics such as data editing and analysis systems, census process control, and planning of subsequent preparation stages will also be considered.

The organization of this event is an important step toward improving the methodology for collecting and analyzing agricultural data in Kazakhstan, which will contribute to more accurate and evidence-based sector development.