Status
The variant of the North American Product Classification System (NAPCS) Canada for the prices of farm products was approved as a departmental standard on November 27, 2017. The variant is based on NAPCS Canada 2017 Version 2.0.
Transition to NAPCS Canada 2017
In the past, the standard classification for agricultural goods was not used by the Agriculture Division. An existing classification that included agriculture goods in the Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM 2004 – List of Goods), did not meet the needs of the Agriculture Division’s programs. At the same time, the standard classification of NAPCS Canada did not have enough detail to meet the needs of all the Agriculture Division programs. An extension variant for the agricultural goods has been developed to meet the specific detail needs, while new aggregates were created by regrouping 3, 5, 6 and 7 digits categories for the price index. The Farm price index (FPPI) is therefore a regrouping variant, using also the 8 digit detail level of the agricultural goods extension variant.
This variant will continue to be updated as agriculture data form part of Statistics Canada’s Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP).
The standard NAPCS Canada has been adopted by most Statistics Canada programs that have a product dimension.
There are several benefits to converting to NAPCS Canada:
- Most Statistics Canada programs with a product dimension will adopt NAPCS Canada. As a result, Statistics Canada data will be coherent and consistent.
- Some products produced in Canada today did not exist few years ago. Converting to a new classification system will allow products to be classified more accurately.
- By using the classes of NAPCS Canada, we insure alignment with the macro-economic accounts, the prices programs and the merchandise accounts.
- Statistical programs in the United States and Mexico may also release data based on NAPCS. In these cases, international comparisons of product data will be easier.
NAPCS Canada variant for farm product price index (FPPI)
The NAPCS Canada 2017 Version 2.0 contains 158 groups (3-digits), of which only 8 groups are related to agricultural goods. Six of these groups, from code 111 to 116, are included in this variant; in most cases these goods represent farm output. Processed agricultural goods are not included in the variant.
This variant defines a new aggregate level (sections coded from A11 to A25) by regrouping 3-digit categories of NAPCS Canada 2017 Version 2.0 covering farm products. Other aggregate levels were also created to regroup 5, 6 and 7 digits categories, where needed (see the list of groupings below). An additional level of detail (8 digit) was kept as it is shared with the agricultural goods extension variant. The new detailed level, which is made of 8-digits codes, comprises 153 categories.
For the FPPI, here are other aggregates (except the new sections) created by modifying the standard NAPCS Canada for the variant:
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 115AA | Corn for grain, oats, barley and rye |
| 11511AA | Corn for grain, oats, barley and rye |
| 115115AA | Rye |
| 115AB | Soybeans and flaxseed |
| 11512AA | Soybeans and flaxseed |
| 115122AA | Flaxseed |
| 114AA | Chickpeas, lentils, dry beans and dry peas |
| 11431A | Chickpeas, lentils, dry beans and dry peas |
| 115AC | Canary seeds, sunflower seeds and mustard seeds |
| 11511AB | Canary seeds |
| 115115AB | Canary seeds |
| 1151155A | Canary seeds |
| 11512AB | Sunflower seeds |
| 115122AB | Sunflower seeds |
| 11513A | Mustard seeds |
| 115139A | Mustard seeds |
| 114AB | Fresh fruit |
| 11411A | Fresh fruit |
| 114AC | Fresh vegetables (except potatoes and pulse crops) |
| 114AD | Fresh potatoes |
| 111AA | Cattle and calves |
| 111AB | Hogs |
| 111AC | Chickens, turkeys, chicks, poults |
| 11113A | Chickens, turkeys, chicks, poults |
| 116AA | Eggs in shell |
| 116AB | Unprocessed milk |
See "Hierarchical structure" for a detailed presentation of the levels and code structures of the variant.
Hierarchical structure
The structure of the NAPCS Canada 2017 Version 2.0 variant for the prices of farm products is hierarchical. It is composed of six levels.
level 1: section (three-character alphanumeric variant codes)
level 2: group (three-digit standard codes or five-character alphanumeric variant codes)
level 3: class (five-digit standard codes or six or seven-character alphanumeric variant codes)
level 4: subclass (six-digit standard codes or seven or eight-character alphanumeric variant codes)
level 5: detail (seven-digit standard codes or eight-character alphanumeric variant codes)
level 6: detail (eight-digit variant codes)