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Table 40: Costs and Returns for Alfalfa Hay (New Seeding), Per Acre

Integrated Crop Management, Northeastern United States, 1996
PRE-PRODUCTION COSTS        
ITEM UNIT PRICE QUANTITY TOTAL
Apply Calcium Fertilizer ton $ 27.65 1.5 $ 41.48
Soil Test acre $ 1.00 1 $ 1.00
Alfalfa Seed pound $ 3.50 18 $ 63.00
Machine Costs   $ 33.31   $ 33.31
Operator Labor hr $ 14.48 1.19 $ 17.23
Grain Drill   $ 3.16   $ 3.16
Total Pre-Production Costsa       $ 159.18

aThese costs are amortized over four production years.
PRODUCTION COSTS        
ITEM UNIT PRICE QUANTITY TOTAL
         
Receipts        
Alfalfa ton $ 132.00 2 $ 264.00
         
Variable Costs        
Fertilizer        
N pound $ 0.32 20 $ 6.40
P pound $ 0.32 120 $ 38.40
K pound $ 0.14 180 $ 25.20
Herbicides        
Butyrac 200 (2,4-DB) gallon $ 36.00 0.5 $ 18.00
Eptam 7E gallon $ 30.60 0.5 $ 15.30
Insecticides        
Cygon 400 gallon $ 34.66 0.06 $ 2.08
Malathion 57E gallon $ 29.18 0.25 $ 7.30
Labor        
Operator hour $ 14.48 2.54 $ 36.78
Seasonal Hired hour $ 7.24 0.5 $ 3.62
Diesel Fuel        
Tractors gallon $ 0.969 12.83 $ 12.43
Repair & Maintenance        
Tractors acre $ 6.29 1 $ 6.29
Implements acre $ 16.25 1 $ 16.25
Sub-Total       $ 188.05
Interest on Operating Capitalb acre 10% 1 $ 5.45
Total Variable Costs acre   1 $ 193.50
Returns Above Variable Costs acre   1 $ 70.50
Fixed Cost        
Tractors acre $ 15.73 1 $ 15.73
Implements acre $ 30.08 1 $ 30.08
Land Charge acre $ 50.00 1 $ 50.00
Pre-Production Cost Allocation acre 8% 1 $ 47.64
Total Fixed Costs acre   1 $ 143.45
Total Fixed and Variable Costs acre   1 $ 336.95
Management Feeb acre 7% 1 $ 31.23
Total Costs acre   1 $ 368.18
Net Returns acre   1 $ (104.18)

bSee text for calculation assumptions.
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