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Table 19: Costs and Returns for Blueberries, Per Acre

Non Bearing Year, 2-3, Conventional Production Practices, Northeastern United States, 1996
ITEM UNIT PRICE QUANTITY TOTAL
         
Receipts        
Blueberriesa lb   0 $ -
         
Variable Costs        
Fertilizer        
N lb $ 0.32 130 $ 41.60
P lb $ 0.32 40 $ 12.80
K lb $ 0.14 40 $ 5.60
Herbicides        
Devrinol 50DF lb $ 8.15 12 $ 97.80
Solicam DF lb $ 16.50 3 $ 49.50
Fungicides        
Lime Sulphur gallon $ 4.35 5 $ 21.75
Other        
Blueberry Plants each $ 2.00 20 $ 40.00
Labor        
Operator hr $ 14.48 3.88 $ 56.17
Regular Hired hr $ 10.13 0.22 $ 2.19
Hand Labor (Pruning) hr $ 10.13 15 $ 151.95
Transplant Labor hr $ 7.24 0.8 $ 5.79
Irrigation        
Operating Cost acre $ 200.00 1 $ 200.00
Diesel Fuel        
Tractors gallon $ 0.969 4.181 $ 4.05
Repair & Maintenance        
Tractors acre $ 20.58 1 $ 20.58
Implements acre $ 1.56 1 $ 1.56
Sub-Total       $ 711.34
Interest on Operating Capitalb acre 10% 1 $ 35.57
Total Variable Costs acre   1 $ 746.91
Returns Above Variable Costs acre   1 $ (746.91)
Fixed Costs        
Tractors acre $ 27.61 1 $ 27.61
Implements acre $ 2.34 1 $ 2.34
Land Charge acre $ 100.00 1 $ 100.00
Total Fixed Costs acre   1 $ 129.95
Total Fixed & Variable Costs acre   1 $ 876.86
Management Feesb acre 7% 1 $ 54.38
Total Costs acre   1 $ 931.24
Net Returns acre   1 $ (931.24)

aSee text for calculation assumptions.
bA light crop is expected to be picked in the third year, but its revenue is expected to cover the harvesting and marketing costs.
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