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(2) Improvement of Statistics Recommends (a) That the Conference call on member governments to develop and improve their statistical services in respect of food and agriculture so as to meet the minimum needs as developed in the FAO program for statistical information. (b) That FAO proceed at once to develop and secure agreement on standard procedures in the statistics of food and agriculture, for example through such action as the preparation and distribution of outlines of methods for constructing food balance sheets, and for preparing indexes of production and prices. (c) That FAO take steps to assist governments to develop and improve their statistical services by co-operating with them in making available the assistance of staff members on request and by assisting governments to secure the services of qualified experts as needed. (.?) That FAO and member governments at the subsequent Conference report on steps taken and the progress achieved toward improvement of statistics on food and agriculture. (3) Current Reporting Recommends {a) That all printed and other publications issued by government services and official organizations in the field of food and agriculture be sent regularly to FAO; (b) That governments also send to FAO advance copies of publications related to food and agriculture as they become available for distribution. (c) That FAO develop and communicate to governments a timetable of the information needed at various periods during the year, and periodically send to governments detailed questionnaires calling for such information. (d) That the inquiries made by FAO be transmitted to governments as far in advance of the reporting date as feasible, and that insofar as possible they be distributed throughout the year with a view to facilitating the task of government services. (Ie) That FAO give careful study to ways of expediting the transmission of information from governments without asking governments to assume unreasonable expenditures. It would seem particularly desirable to examine the possibilities of setting up a code system (similar to that established by UN) for current and regularly forthcoming statistical information. (/) That FAO insofar as possible disseminate the information it receives and the results of its studies particularly concerning changes in production, trade, and prices.