The 2013 Crop Budget Cost of Production Calculator for Wisconsin is available online.
Producers can use it to construct enterprise budgets for corn after corn, corn after soybeans, corn silage after alfalfa, corn silage after corn, soybeans, winter wheat, seeding alfalfa and established alfalfa for hay and haylage.
The costs of growing alfalfa, corn, soybeans and wheat in Wisconsin are predicted to be roughly 14% higher in 2013 than in 2012, says Ken Barnett, University of Wisconsin Extension educator. Fertilizer and pesticide prices are expected to be more than 5% higher; seed prices are likely to be higher due to the drought.
“When deciding how much of an input to apply, producers can maximize their investment in that input by considering its marginal rate of return,” says Barnett.
To download the calculator, go to the UW’s Farm Team Web site. Look in the Enterprise Budgets heading, then go to the Field Crop section.
For more information, contact Barnett at 715-355-4561 or ken.barnett@ces.uwex.edu.