needs of our stakeholders. - Manage and develop our people, systems and processes" People ABARES is under the direct leadership of several federal Ministers which include: In 1948, ABARES had 25 professional staff with university degrees in economics or agricultural economics, and this number grew to 55 in 1954 than to 85 in 1962. During the 1970s ABARES’ employee count had risen to 200 with special qualifications in economics. In the 1980s when the then ABARE merged with the Bureau of Mineral Resources to become ABARES, the total employee count peaked at just above 300, from the 1980s the employee count of ABARES declined to roughly 125 employees as of 2017–18. Data Collection, Processes and Procedures ABARES collects a broad range of commodity, climate and agricultural data. The data ABARES collects is the chief source of publicly available data for Australian agricultural and resource economics related commodities and industries, and has been described as more accurate in these fields than other organisations. ABARES’ surveys are sometimes collected via face-to-face interviews. Compared with other national agricultural and resource economics data collection agencies, ABARES is considered one of the more reliable and thorough. While ABARES does collate and produce reports exclusively within ABARES, often, ABARES will co-produce reports and documents with industry groups. By working collaboratively, the advice ABARES and the private entity provide will be received more effectively than information provided solely by ABARES or a private entity. ABARES collates three annual agricultural surveys which includes: - The Australian Agricultural and Grazing Industry Survey (AAGIS) - Australian Dairy Industry Survey (ADI) - Murray-Darling Basin Irrigation Survey The Australian Agricultural and Grazing Industry Survey (AAGIS) is a large report compiled by ABARES which assesses broadacre industries on a yearly basis. ABARES determines the target number and types of farms to include in the AAGIS survey. To do this, ABARES collects data on farms that participated in the survey in the previous year (and would like to participate in the current year) and then resample the remaining population to reach the target number and composition. Furthermore, the data collected within the AAGIS survey is split into various zones as to aid consistent data interpretation. The ADI survey covers farms that are engaged in dairying. Australia's Dairy industry is the third largest rural industry behind wheat and beef and has a gross value of $4 billion. The Murray-Darling Basin Irrigation Survey covers a broad