UNIT COST CHALLENGE 2001
UNIT COST CHALLENGE 2001
HOW cheaply can you grow a tonne of wheat? With low market values that is a key issue for growers striving to maintain farm profits.
To help focus attention on this important issue farmers weekly has joined leading ag-chem supplier BASF to stage the Unit Cost Challenge 2001.
The competition aims to find the grower who spent the least on variable and operational costs, including labour and machinery, for each tonne of wheat grown in a specific field last year.
We do not want to know about other overheads – what you pay for rent, finance and advice is your business. What we want to identify is the farm making best use of technical, labour and machinery inputs to deliver the lowest unit cost of production for winter wheat.
Yield clearly plays a crucial role, helping offset costs. If you had a good yield and controlled costs you could be in with a chance.
So get those calculators clicking! A few calculations now could see you well on your way to winning £2000-worth of BASFs Landmark (epoxiconazole + kresoxim-methyl) fungicide.
How to enter
All it takes is four short steps to enter the Unit Cost Challenge 2001:
1 Choose your best wheat field from harvest 2000 (min 5ha).
2 Add up its variable costs.
3 Calculate your operational costs, including labour, capital costs, depreciation, maintenance and running costs. Alternatively use the typical figures shown on the form.
4 Divide your total costs by yield. Entries will be used to draw up a short-list of finalists for farm visits.
£2000 top prize
Top prize is an engraved trophy plus £2000-worth of BASFs popular strobilurin fungicide Landmark (epoxiconazole + kresoxim-methyl). The winner and runners-up will receive framed certificates.
£500 For advisers
If you are a crop adviser, why not encourage some of your clients to enter? In recognition of the important input agronomists make to the cost-effective production of wheat a £500 holiday voucher will be awarded to the winning farmers crop consultant.
RULES
1. Competition open to all UK farmers and farm managers.
2. Complete entry form in ink and send to address shown. Closing date is Feb 23, 2001. Late, incomplete, mutilated or illegible entries will be disqualified, as will any failing to comply with these rules.
3. No responsibility is accepted for entries delayed or lost in the post. Proof of postage will not be accepted as proof of delivery.
4. The judges will be appointed by farmers weekly and BASF. Their decisions are final. No correspondence will be entered into.
5. The winners and runners-up will be presented with awards at Cereals 2001 at Royston, Herts on Wed, June 13. There will be no cash alternatives.
Entry form
Typical Your Comments
example costs
(£/ha) (£/ha)
Field name Any Farm ………….. ……………………………………
Field size 5ha+ ………….. ……………………………………
Variety Topyield ………….. ……………………………………
Variable costs
Seed 45 ………….. ……………………………………
Compound fert 15 ………….. ……………………………………
Nitrogen fert 60 ………….. ……………………………………
Other nutrients 5 ………….. ……………………………………
Herbicides 40 ………….. ……………………………………
Fungicides 50 ………….. ……………………………………
Insecticides 6 ………….. ……………………………………
Growth regs 8 ………….. ……………………………………
Total 229 ………….. ……………………………………
Operational costs
Seed-bed (specify each operation)
Eg 1/3 sub-soil 10 ………….. ……………………………………
Plough (5f 30cm) 35 ………….. ……………………………………
Disc x 2 30 ………….. ……………………………………
Power harrow 25 ………….. ……………………………………
Drill 15 ………….. ……………………………………
Spread x3 =21 ………….. ……………………………………
Spray x4 =28 ………….. ……………………………………
Harvest 75 ………….. ……………………………………
Corn carting 10 ………….. ……………………………………
Total 249 ………….. ……………………………………
Overall costs 478 ………….. ……………………………………
Yield (t/ha) 9 ………….. ……………………………………
Unit cost (£/t) 53 ………….. ……………………………………
Name:…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Address:……………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Post code:…………………………………………………………………………………….
Tel:…………………………………………..Fax:…………………………………………….
e-mail:…………………………………………………………………………………………..
POST TO: Unit Cost Challenge, farmers weekly, Quadrant House, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS, fax to 020 8652 4005 or e-mail charles.abel@rbi.co.uk
Closing date: Fri, Feb 23.
Sponsors message
BASF is now established as one of the worlds leading agrochemical companies, providing a wide portfolio of crop protection products to enhance yield and quality. With ground-breaking products such as Opus and Landmark, BASF is number one for cereal fungicides in the UK.
By setting new standards of curative activity against the major cereal diseases, Opus (epoxiconazole) has already made a major contribution to crop protection over the last five years and is set to become the preferred partner for strobilurin fungicides for many years to come. Landmark (epoxiconazole + kresoxim-methyl) continues to be the most cost-effective of the current generation of strobilurin fungicides.
BASF is committed to the advancement of crop protection in the UK and is once again proud to support the Unit Cost Challenge. Last year the finalists demonstrated a high level of technical and financial ability, with the winner driving the cost of production down to £28.28/t. This year there is just as much pressure to keep costs to a minimum and to ensure that the inputs used are cost effective.
BASF is pleased that crop advisers are being invited to participate with cereal growers in the Unit Cost Challenge this year – its an acknowledgement of their important and continuing role in providing sound advice.
So we invite you to submit your own cost per tonne of production for the 2000 winter wheat crop. The incentive is that BASF is offering £2000-worth of the leading cost effective strobilurin fungicide, Landmark, to the wheat grower with the lowest verified figure, and his adviser will get a £500 holiday voucher. Its a prize that is guaranteed to drive down the cost of production.