INTRODUCTION 



Page 



HISTORY v 



USES OF THE CENSUS V 



AUTHORITY AND AREA COVERED V 



FARM DEFINITION V 



COMPARABILITY OF DATA V 



TABULAR PRESENTATION VI 



CENSUS DISCLOSURE RULES VI 



DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATIONS VI 



DOLLAR VALUES. VI 



INVENTORIES. PRODUCTION, AND SALES DATA VI 



ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS VI 



b. Monies are paid by the Federal Government based 

 in part on census data. 



c. Business persons can determine where and how 

 much of their product they can sell, and measure 

 other features of their market. 



d. Farmers compare their current size and performance 

 with the size and performance of other farms in the 

 same geographic area to determine how well they 

 are doing. 



HISTORY 



The 1 982 Census of Agriculture is the 22d nationwide 

 agricultural census. The first agricultural census data were 

 collected in 1 840 as a part of the sixth decennial census. 

 From then to 1 920, an agricultural census was taken as 

 a part of each decennial census. Since 1920, a national 

 agricultural census has been taken every 5 years. 



The 1982 census is the 1 1th census of agriculture of 

 Puerto Rico. The first census of agriculture was taken in 

 1910. From then to 1950, a census of agriculture was 

 taken every 10 years in conjunction with the decennial 

 censuses. In 1935, a special census of Puerto Rico was 

 taken by the Puerto Rican Reconstruction Administration. 

 In 1957, an amendment was made to the law to include 

 Puerto Rico in the quinquennial national census of 

 agriculture. The first census under this amendment was 

 taken in 1959, separately from the 1960 decennial cen- 

 sus. From 1959 to 1974, a census of agriculture was 

 taken for the years ending in 4 and 9. In 1 976, Congress 

 authorized the census of agriculture to be taken for 1 978 

 and 1982 to adjust the data reference year to coincide 

 with the 1982 Economic Censuses covering manufac- 

 turing, mining, construction, retail trade, wholesale 

 trade, service industries, and selected transportation 

 activities. After 1982, the agriculture census will revert 

 to a 5-year cycle and be taken covering years ending in 

 "2" and "7." 



USES OF THE CENSUS 



This information is needed by the farmers of Puerto 

 Rico, by their representatives, by the Government, and 

 by many other groups of people who are concerned with 

 food and agricultural production in Puerto Rico. 



The census will provide a comprehensive inventory of 

 the farms and their production. A great many uses are 

 made of this basic census information. 



a. Agricultural programs can be evaluated and new pro- 

 grams started on the basis of farm statistics. 



AUTHORITY AND AREA COVERED 



The 1982 Census of Agriculture was taken in accord- 

 ance with the provisions of title 1 3, United States Code, 

 reaffirmed by section 818 of the Agriculture and Con- 

 sumer Protection Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-86). 

 Section 142(a) and 191 of title 13 provide for a census 

 of agriculture every 5 years in each State, the District of 

 Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands of 

 the United States. The census data for Puerto Rico were 

 collected in accordance with a Memorandum of Agree- 

 ment prescribed or approved by the Director of the Bureau 

 of the Census. 



FARM DEFINITION 



The statistics collected in the census relate to places 

 with agricultural operations qualifying as farms according 

 to a new census definition. In Puerto Rico, this included 

 all places from which $500 or more of agricultural 

 products were sold, or normally would have been sold, 

 during the 12-month period between July 1, 1982, and 

 June 30, 1983. Also, included were places of 10 

 cuerdas or more from which $ 1 00 or more of agricultural 

 products were sold, or normally would have been sold, 

 during the period between July 1, 1982, and June 30, 

 1983. 



This definition of a farm was changed since the last cen- 

 sus. For 1 978, operations qualifying as farms were all 

 places of 3 cuerdas or more on which agricultural products 

 other than vegetables for home consumption were pro- 

 duced, or on which any livestock or 1 5 chickens or more 

 or other poultry, were kept on the place. Also, included 

 were places of less than 3 cuerdas, if their gross sales 

 during the census year or expected gross sales during the 

 following year were $100 or more. 



COMPARABILITY OF DATA 



For better comparability of data, historical data shown 

 in this publication have been revised to conform to the 



1982 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE 



INTRODUCTION V 



