Appendix A – Other Data Sources Identified on Submission

The Feedback and Submission Form asked data users for changes, additional details or new topics that they would like to see in the 2016 CEAG. These suggestions along with an assessment for each suggestion are included in Table 4 and 5.

Data users were also asked to provide other data sources that address their data needs. The majority of data users indicated that no other data sources could address their data needs. When other data sources were identified, most did not fully meet the data requirements. There were some alternative data sources, however, that met the data needs of data users. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) was listed as a source for gross farm receipts and one data user indicated that there are publications that can be used to proxy equipment value for the question on the market value of farm equipment.

The other data sources mentioned by data users include Earth Observation (remote sensing), industry organizations, certifying bodies, supply management boards (quota systems), associations, marketing boards, consumer surveys, other surveys at Statistics Canada, special studies, provincial funding programs, extrapolations based on sales and crop insurance. Data users indicated limitations with these data sources including limited accuracy, lack of spatial resolution, lack of detail, small sample size, missing industry sectors and inaccessibility.

Some of the reasons that the CEAG was cited as the preferable data source are that the census provides a comprehensive, reliable, accurate and objective data source with historical comparability that has the coverage and timeliness that data users require.