Agriculture Secretary Ashish Bahuguna has asked the states, departments and statistical agencies to provide adequate and credible agricultural data. He said, important decisions relating to policy making, production, investment, procurement, imports and exports are taken based on these data only. Addressing a workshop on improvement of agri statistics in New Delhi today, Mr Bahuguna said, Centre is providing financial support to the states to bring the correct estimates, especially of sugar and pulses. He also said, government is making all efforts to deal with the administrative hierarchy which is a hurdle in a way to collect realistic data. He referred to the huge variations in the estimates of area reported under various crops for the same period by two sources in the states without giving reasonable explanation for the same.

The agriculture secretary said, that substantial production of horticulture is visible in the country and immense potential exists for further growth . Therefore, there is need to capture this growth in a more systematic manner. He said collection of correct data on horticulture is on high priorty in the 12th five year plan period.

Speaking on the ocassion, Secretary in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Dr. T. C. A. Anant said, his ministry is closely working with the ministry of agriculture to provide the adequate data.