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Alfalfa-Timothy Hay Enterprise Budget

Author: John Molenhuis - Business Analysis & Cost of Production Program Lead/OMAFRA
Creation Date: 10 March 2003
Last Reviewed: 3 March 2008

Revenue
Revised January 2008
Sample cost
per Acre
Your Farm Budget
Expected Yield (tonnes/ac)
3.50
 
Expected Price ($/tonne)
110.00
 
Total Expected Revenue (Yield x Price)    

 
Expenses
Revised January 2008
Sample cost
per Acre
Your Farm Budget
Seed - Alfalfa 12 lbs/acre and Timothy 4 lb/ac
48
 
Seed - Other seed
 
 
Inoculant
1
 
Fertilizer - 50 kg/ac 8-32-16
25
 
Fertilizer - 130 kg/ac 0-0-60 (applied In Fall)
50
 
Fertilizer - Other    
Herbicide - Glyphosphate
9
 
Herbicide - 24D-B
14
 
Insecticides    
Crop Insurance
3
 
Custom Work #1 - Fertilizer application
18
 
Custom Work #2 - Pesticide application
18
 
Custom Work #3 - Bale wrapping
31
 
Twine
 
 
Storage    
Other    
Fuel
20
 
Machine Repair & Maintenance
18
 
Bldg. Repair & Maintenance
 
 
Rent & Labour
34
 
General Variable Costs    
Interest on Operating Capital
18
 
Total Variable Costs
306
 
Gross Margin (Revenue - Variable Costs)
 
Fixed Costs
Revised January 2008
Sample cost
per Acre
Your Farm Budget
Depreciation
35
 
Interest on Term Loans
26
 
Long-Term Leases    
General Fixed Costs
8
 
Total Fixed Costs
69
 
Total Expenses
375
 

Annual Production Costs

 
Fixed Costs
Revised January 2008
Sample cost
per Acre
Your Farm Budget
Establishment year expenses over 4 years (less Est. year sales)
50
 
Fertilizer - 10 kg/ac 0-46-0
5
 
Fertilizer - 50 kg/ac 0-0-60 (applied in fall)
19
 
Fertilizer - Other fertilizer
 
 
Herbicide - Broadleaf Herbicides
 
 
Herbicide - Other weed control where needed
 
 
Insecticides
 
 
Crop Insurance
11
 
Custom Work #1 Fertilizer application
18
 
Custom Work #2 Bale wrapping
62
 
Twine
 
 
Storage
 
 
Other
 
 
Fuel
16
 
Machine Repair & Maintenance
20
 
Bldg. Repair & Maintenance
 
 
Labour
34
 
General Variable Costs
 
 
Interest on Operating Capital
7
 
Total Variable Costs
242
 

Gross Margin (Revenue - Variable Costs)

 
Fixed Costs
Revised January 2008
Sample cost
per Acre
Your Farm Budget
Depreciation
35
 
Interest on Term Loans
26
 
Long-Term Leases
   
 
General Fixed Costs
8
 
Total Fixed Costs
69
 
Total Expenses
311
 

Breakeven Price on Your Farm is (Total Expenses/Expected Yield)

Allocation of General Variable and Fixed Costs

General Variable and Fixed Costs or general overhead costs are those whole farm costs that can be difficult to allocate to a specific enterprise. These costs will show little or no change whether one crop or another is grown. That is to say your crop mix choice should be the same after allocating general overhead costs as it was before they were added. This table allows you to allocate these overhead costs and transfer them to the budget to arrive at a total cost of production.

Cost Item Whole Farm $ Percent Allocated to Hay Total Dollars Allocated to Hay Per Acre Costs for Hay Your Farm Budget
Example: 100 acres of Hay
Legal and accounting fees
$1500.00
20%
$300
$3.00
 
General Variable Costs
$
Hay
Hay
Hay
 
Advertising          
Electricity and Heating Fuel          
Telephone          
Memberships / Subscription Fees          
Office Expenses          
Legal and Accounting Fees          
Motor Vehicle Expenses          
Small Tools          
Soil Testing          
Licenses/permits          
Other general variable costs          
Total General Variable Costs          
General Fixed Costs          
Property Taxes          
Other Insurance Premiums          
Other General Fixed Costs          
Total General Fixed Costs          
Transfer General Cost totals to the Budget          

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