The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) continued, this Tuesday (12), the 2nd pilot test of the 12th Census of Agriculture, Forestry and Aquaculture, in the municipality of Barcarena (PA). The activity is part of another fundamental preparatory stage to guarantee the quality, scope and accuracy of the survey that will be carried out throughout the country.

On this second day, the highlight was the interviews with the teams involved in the operation, who reported the logistical challenges of the fieldwork and the importance of planning and testing in this initial phase.

In addition to validating already consolidated methodologies, the pilot test also brought a historic innovation: the inclusion of the productive agri-food systems of traditional peoples and communities. For the first time, these groups will be portrayed in detail in the Census, ensuring greater representativeness in the national statistical survey.

Operation requires multiple transportation modes

Douglas Gomes Oliveira, operational assistant at the Support Center for the 12th Census of Agriculture, highlighted the complexity of the operation in the Pará territory and the diversity of strategies needed to reach the informants.

“Conducting the CAFA, crossing the entire territory, finding each agricultural establishment, each fisherman, riverside dweller, each wild-crop harverster in the territory is a more intense operation. To face all the challenges of traveling this territory, we go on foot, we go by bicycle, we go by car, we ride animals. There are crossings by small boats, by barges... We need to use all means of transportation to travel throughout the state of Pará,” he reported.

According to Mr. Oliveira, the day is dedicated to the operation of the data collection station and the verification of the systems that will be used during the survey.

“Today is the day the collection station tests the application. So it’s an office day, a day to pore over the map, to plan, to test the system, to download the inputs so we can collect data. It’s the time to apply everything we learned in training and make an effort to make sure everything is working,” he explained.

He also emphasized the experimental nature of the pilot test and the importance of the learning gained from the tests.

“We will find this path by testing, making mistakes, trial and error. As it is a pilot test, it allows us to perceive challenges that the territory will impose, such as communication. It’s the time for realizing this, and seeing what solutions work.”

Observers contribute to improvement

Another point highlighted on this second day is the presence of internal and external observers monitoring the activities in the field. For Mr. Oliveira, this participation is essential to improve processes and ensure higher quality for the Census.

“Here we have our own observers, agency heads, planning managers, SPIG staff, and also external observers from other institutions and partners, such as the Ministry of Agrarian Development, the Ministry of Social Development, ICMBio, among others. I think this other perspective is essential.”

According to him, the external contribution allows for the identification of areas for improvement that may go unnoticed by teams already familiar with the process.

“When we are very involved in what we do, sometimes we overlook some detail. The external observer, however, sees everything as important, every question, every way of acting. They come from other realities, so they perceive things differently.”

He further emphasized that this process directly contributes to the excellence of the Census: “This alignment with different perspectives allows us to adjust practices, improve methods, and carry out the work with excellence.”

Activities

You can follow the days of activities on the News Agency, Census official website and on our social media: Instagram, Tik Tok and Facebook.