The collection of agricultural statistics or tillage duty, was an annual task undertaken by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) for the Ministry of Agriculture. Tillage duty involved a visit to every farm in the sub-district to record crop yields, acreage under various crops and numbers of livestock including poultry and hives of bees. The figures were entered into forms that were returned to the Ministry of Agriculture, who then calculated the correct subsidy for each farm. Policemen enjoyed tillage duty as they received a sustenance allowance as well as occcasional gifts of eggs or butter from the farmers.

Initially, the RUC's policing duties were similar to those of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). Except during times of civil unrest, the RIC and RUC operated as conventional police forces performing duties that were dominated by patrolling and paperwork. The scattered nature of barracks and the knowledge of the local population made the RIC an ideal organisation to administer various duties for different government departments. From the mid 1850s, the RIC gradually took on additional administrative responsibilities which included checking weights and measures, collecting census returns, dog licensing, delivering pension books and collecting agricultural statistics. After the RIC disbanded, the Garda Síochána and the RUC continued to carry out many of these duties until the 1960s.