Statistics Canada is going to use satellites to guage this
year’s grain and oilseeds crops rather than telephoning thousands of farmers.
The agency says it’s not a money-saving measure, but a move
to improve accuracy.
The Canadian Wheat Board has used satellite surveillance for
decades to guage crops around the world and help it make marketing plans.
Statistics Canada is under government pressure to cut more
than $33 million from its annual budget. It is currently facing severe
criticism over the reliability of its new household-survey results which rely
on voluntary compliance to fill out a short form rather than the previous
compulsory requirements for a longer, more detailed set of questions.
Statistics Canada says it will make a decision before March
31 on whether crop surveys will be done by satellite from now on.
