TAXILA: Like other parts of the country, the seventh agriculture census started in Attock district on Wednesday with an aim to develop the agriculture sector through modern lines. Additional Deputy Commissioner Finance and Planning Nosheen Israr formally inaugurated the digital agri census at a special ceremony. Chief Statistical Officer of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (Rawalpindi Division) Waseem Akhtar, District Census Officer Khalid Mehmood Butt, the bureau’s deputy director, Mudassar Akhtar, District Coordinator Attock Mohammad Asim Saeed and other officials were present on the occasion. Addressing the ceremony, Nosheen Israr said the census would further strengthen agricultural economy of the country. She was of the view that accurate data on agriculture, livestock and agricultural implements in the district would be obtained through the census, enabling better planning for the development of the district. She said farmers would benefit from the agri-friendly policies as the government was spending billions of rupees to improve the agriculture sector. Ms Israr said the agriculture census was being organised after 14 years, and it would significantly contribute to improve the economic landscape and provide reliable data for evidence-based policy-making. Chief Statistical Officer Waseem Akhtar said following international best practices under the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) guidelines, the bureau decided to integrate agriculture, livestock and agricultural machinery censuses to cover all three under the seventh agriculture census. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics Deputy Director Mudassar Akhtar and District Coordinator Mohammad Asim Saeed imparted training to the selected supervisors and enumerators.