Crop Cutting Experiments (CCE)

Why in News?

The recent NSO’s Annual Report on Improvement of Crop Statistics (ICS) Scheme, 2023-24 has raised concerns about the quality of Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs).

• Crop Cutting Experiment (CCE) is a field-based statistical method to estimate crop yield.

• Method – A scientifically selected portion of a field is harvested, threshed, cleaned and weighed.
  • The result is used to calculate yield per hectare.
  • Final crop production is mainly calculated using - Area under crop × Average yield per hectare.
• Key Findings of the Report

• Only 72% of CCEs in 2023-24 followed the prescribed scientific procedures.
• Around 28% had procedural lapses or errors.

• About 11% had errors in crop selection, harvesting or weighing.
• Around 10% had errors in recording information such as irrigation, seeds and fertilisers.
• Selected villages or fields were frequently replaced in several states, affecting the quality of scientific sampling.
  • Supervision was inadequate in several states.

• Some CCEs were conducted by untrained personnel, raising concerns about data accuracy.
• CCEs Importance – Official crop estimates influence
  • Minimum Support Price (MSP) and procurement
  • Public Distribution System (PDS)
  • Food grain imports and exports
  • Food security planning
  • Crop insurance claims
  • Agricultural policy and planning

• Measures –
  • Ensure 100% supervision of CCEs.
  • Train field personnel properly.
  • Update the General Crop Estimation Survey (GCES) plan.
  • Ensure timely selection of fields.
  • Improve coordination with farmers.
  • Strengthen digital monitoring and quality checks.

Improvement of Crop Statistics (ICS) scheme

• Introduced jointly by – Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) and state authorities in 1973–74
• Purpose – To check and evaluate the quality of crop-area enumeration and crop-cutting experiments conducted by state field workers.
• Executing Agency – National Statistical Office (NSO)
• Scope – It operates across multiple states and union territories to maintain data integrity for India's agricultural policy and food security planning

Reference

Down To Earth| Crop Cutting Experiments (CCE)