Estimation of olive oil production based on the use of administrative data

Abstract

Italy is one of the most relevant countries in the European Union as regards crops and, in particular, olive oil production. Actually, statistical data on olive oil are provided by the 20 Italian Regions to ISTAT through estimates supplied by experts and / or local panels of influent farmers and category associations. However, more precise estimates may be derived from the administrative data collected by AGEA, which is the Italian acronym for Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS). IACS is in charge of receiving from farmers declarations of production, on the basis of which they receive subsidies. The main goals of the work are the following ones: 1) to transform the administrative IACS database into a statistical one; 2) to compare different methodologies for producing monthly estimates of olive oil productions in presence of missing declarations; 3) to aggregate the IACS yearly olive oil production, comparing these estimates with those supplied by experts estimates. The paper analyses the main outcomes concerning the Region Apulia (South Italy), where the 40.1% of Italian olive oil is produced.