USDA ERS Report: Production Expenses of Specialized Vegetable and Melon Farms

A note from Gary Lucier over at USDA ERS:



Hi Tom,

In the something different department…our report on Production Expenses of Specialized Vegetable and Melon Farms was just released. The link is found here.

Gary


TK: The 26-page report has been in the works for quite a while, and for production-minded readers, this report is a must read. From the report abstract:

Vegetable and melon production requires a substantial investment in production inputs. Using data from USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS), this article presents and explores the major expense components of specialized U.S. and regional vegetable and melon farms during 1998-2006. Total cash expenses per acre for specialized U.S. vegetable and melon farms increased 32 percent between 1998-2000 and 2004-06 and were highest in the West and lowest in the Midwest. Labor accounted for 30 percent of U.S. cash expenses, followed by fertilizer and agricultural chemicals at 18 percent.