Lettuce Production Practices and Sample Costs

Table 1. COSTS PER ACRE TO PRODUCE LOOSE LEAF LETTUCE
Coachella Valley - 1996

• Labor Rate:

  $8.38/hr. machine labor

  $7.37/hr. non-machine labor

• Interest Rate: 11.61%

• Yield per Acre: 875.00 Box

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		Cash and Labor Costs per Acre
Operation	Operation Time (Hrs/A)	Labor Cost	Fuel, Lube & Repairs	Material Cost	Custom/ Rent	Total Cost	Your Cost
Preplant:
Plow	1.15	12	31	0	0	43
Stubble Disc	0.76	8	19	0	0	27
Rip	1.15	12	2	0	25	39
Landplane	0.00	0	0	0	15	15
Commericial Fertilizer	0.00	0	0	0	70	70
Disc 2x	1.15	16	33	0	0	49
Soil Analysis	0.00	0	0	0	2	2
Pre-Irrigate	5.60	41	0	43	0	84
Insecticide	0.06	1	0	42	0	43
List	1.15	12	22	0	0	34
Pre-Plant Fertilization	0.39	4	10	64	0	78
TOTAL PREPLANT COSTS	11.81	104	118	149	112	482
Cultural:
Plant	1.36	14	43	125	0	182
Bird Control	0.00	0	0	0	36	36
Herbicide	0.06	1	0	75	0	76
Irrigate	16.80	124	0	129	0	252
Cultivate	0.50	5	8	0	0	13
Thinning & Weeding	0.00	0	0	0	160	160
Inject Fertilizer 3x	1.16	12	18	145	0	174
Insecticide	0.22	2	1	121	0	125
Beneficial Insects	2.00	15	0	38	0	53
PCA Field Check	0.00	0	0	0	20	20
TOTAL CULTURAL COSTS	22.10	172	71	633	216	1091
Harvest:
Harvest	0.00	0	0	0	2730	2730
TOTAL HARVEST COSTS	0.00	0	0	0	2730	2730
Postharvest:
Disc 2x	1.55	16	33	0	0	49
TOTAL POST- HARVEST COSTS	1.55	16	33	0	0	49
Interest on operating capital @ 11.61%						85
TOTAL OPERATING COSTS/ACRE		291	221	782	3058	4437
TOTAL OPERATING COSTS/BOX						5.07
CASH OVERHEAD:
Office Expense						50
Liability Insurance						35
Land Rent						133
Managment						105
Sprinkler Pipe						130
Sprinkler Pump Rent						75
Property Taxes						3
Property Insurance						2
Investment Repairs						1
TOTAL CASH OVERHEAD COSTS						534
TOTAL CASH COSTS/ACRE						4970
TOTAL CASH COSTS/BOX						5.68
		Annual Cost
NON-CASH OVERHEAD:	Per Acre	Deprec- iation	Interest @ 3.72%
Investement:
Shop Building	7	0	0			1
Shop Tools	7	0	0			1
Fuel Tanks & Pumps	21	1	0			2
Surface Pipe	0	0	0			0
Equipment	456	82	9			91
TOTAL NON-CASH OVERHEAD COSTS	491	84	10			94
TOTAL COSTS/ACRE						5065
TOTAL COSTS/BOX						5.79

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