xt74j09w2469 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt74j09w2469/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. 1957 journals 049 English Lexington : Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Kentucky Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Progress report (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n.49 text Progress report (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n.49 1957 2014 true xt74j09w2469 section xt74j09w2469 Progress Report 49 April 1957
REQUIREMENTS AND COSTS FOR PRODUCING STRAWBERRIES
LAKE CUMBERLAND AREA - FIRST—YEAR HARVEST, 1956*
By John I-I. Bondurant
Department of Agricultural Economics
Preliminary Report
Production requirements and cost information were obtained from a random
sample of first-year strawberry growers in Laurel, Russell, Pulaski and Wayne
counties, Kentucky, for 1956. Growers who had less than half an acre and har-
vested fewer than 25 crates, however, were not included in the group sampled.
' The acreage of strawberries in the sample ranged from half an acre to 3.. 75 acres
and averaged 1 acre per farm. The strawberries harvested averaged 164 crates
(24-quart) per acre.
Total estimated cost of production at rates prevailing in the area for farm-
furnished items, materials purchased, hired labor and equipment hired, averaged
I $707. 69 per acre; the total estimated cost per crate was $4. 32. For the first-
year strawberries harvested in the 41—farm sarnple, the average receipts were
$820. OO per acre or $5. 00 a crate, leaving a net return of $112.31 an acre or 68
cents a crate.
Labor was 60 percent of the total estimated cost of producing first—year straw-
berries; the labor cost averaged $2. 69 a crate of $440. 26 an acre. The preharvest
labor cost was 55¢ a crate; harvesting (except picking) was 70¢, and picking was
$1.44 a crate. Total hours, rate per hour and estimated cost per acre, were as
1 follows: '
Man labor Rate per Estimated
Labor Utilization hours hour cost of labor
Preharvest labor 224 405f $ 89. 60
Harvesting, except picking 229 50¢ 114. 50
Picking, 10 quarts per hour 410 57. 6¢ 236. 16
Total 863 5l.2¢ $440.26
The rate for preharvest labor of 40¢ an hour was based on the prevailing
wages for hired labor in the area. Also, the wages for harvesting labor, except
A picking, were arrived at from local wages during the picking season. Most of
this labor was performed by the farm operator and members of his family, ex-
cept for extra help in grading and packing on some of the farm with larger acre-
ages. Most of the 229 hours of harvesting labor was for grading and packing.
Picking labor on a rnan—equivalent basis was about two—fifths of a crate (10-quart) I
per hour.
(over)
* Department of Agricultural Economics Research Project 16.
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
Lexington

 ..2- "
The estimated total cost of production varied significantly with the rate of V
production per acre; the farmers who harvested between 50 and 125 crates per
acre, averaging 85 crates, had a total estimated cost of $5. 63 per crate and
produced at a loss of 50 cents per crate. Those who harvested between 125 ‘
and 199 crates per acre, averaging 164 crates, had an estimated cost of $4.33 `
a crate and a net return above estimated total costs of 70 cents a crate. The
farmers harvesting between 200 and 394 crates per acre, averaging 263 crates,
had an estimated cost of $3.72 a crate and a net return of $1. 22 a crate.
Some significant facts may be observed in the information presented below:
'
50 to 125 125 to 199 200 to 394
Item crates per acre crates per acre crates per acre
Crates per acre, Av. 85 164 263
Total receipts, per crate $5. 13 $5. 03 $4. 93
Cost of materials, per crate 1. 53 0.85 0. 68
Cost of crates not returned . 34 . 35 .46
Cost of picking and hauling* 1.56 1. 56 1. 56 l
Total cost of materials, 6
` crates not returned, pick- ·
ing and hauling 3.43 2.76 2.70 ·
Return to labor, use of land V
and equipment, per crate 1. 70 2. 27 2. 23 _
Estimated value for use of
equipment and land, per crate 0.44 .20 . 12
Return to labor and manage-
ment, principally farnily
labor, per crate 1. 26 2. 07 2.,11
Return to labor and manage-
ment, per acre $107.58 $341.20 $556.50
Hours of man labor, except
picking, per acre 334 hr,. 504 hr. 519 hr.
Returns per hour of man labor A
(and mgt.) 32¢ 68¢ 1.06
* The picking cost was calculated at $1.44 a crate, and hauling (use of car or truck
exclusive of labor) averaged l2¢ a crate. Picking time is estimated at 2/5 of a
crate (about 10—quart) per hour. On this basis the labor for picking would be 212
hours, 410 hours, and 658 hours, respectively, for the above -mentioned groups.
4-57--1M