Main costs in growing potatoes per acre!

[Bossfarmer]

I was recently told it costs £2000 per acre to grow a crop of potatoes so if you get 20 tonnes to the acre good enough to sell you would need £100 per tonne to break even, breaking this 2000 down surely a large portion is labour/rent and machinery? I could grow 120 acres easily per year on my own ground do all the work between myself dad and brother and already have 3 big tractors so would just need to buy second hand potato equipment would I make more that my current 70 acres rented out? my grower has dropped me from 100 acres to 70

 

[Clive]

never understand the economics of potatoes - rents can be £400/ac around here

a 1000ac grower (there are a few locally) must have at leat 1 million in capital for machinery to make it happen ? then storage etc is not cheap and you need a lot of it

I cant see the return ??

 

[Darren]

The amount of farmers dropping potatoes including two local large ones to me surely gives you a clue

 

[Bossfarmer]

A lot of those gone out are regretting it this year though many growers have averaged over £200/tonne some as high as £270/tonne, farms are being bought, fendts/combines round here this has all happened in the last two months, I will never be able to compete with these farmers for land working with sucklers/grain the turnover just doesn't compare

 

[Darren]

Well if they're buying Fendts what are you waiting for. Get on the phone to Grimne. Get kitted out and in five years time come back and tell us how many more acres you've been able to buy.

Have you ever thought about doing a business management or BASIS course? Invest in yourself Make YOURSELF a more valuable asset to the farm. That would make far more sense than throwing money around in depreciating lumps of metal.

 

[murphy]

A lot of those gone out are regretting it this year though many growers have averaged over £200/tonne some as high as £270/tonne, farms are being bought, fendts/combines round here this has all happened in the last two months, I will never be able to compete with these farmers for land working with sucklers/grain the turnover just doesn't compare

Where exactly is here ? as I don't see much new stuff being bought locally by potato farmers.

 

[KMA]

Well I'm looking to expand my tattie area next year from 48 to 50+ containers .

Can't think of many things in ag that makes sense at the moment when you sit down and cost them all out properly

 

[Bossfarmer]

it just shows they've got money to burn not a lot been bought the last two years now theyre all at it, I know 3 big growers that have bought farms in the last month

 

[TomAg]

A few Potato farmers around us (south Shropshire/Worcestershire/Herefordshire) are selling up tractors and just hiring lads in, we hire our fendt out in the autumn to help on the harvest, you can see the amount of turnover happening with the payments of seed, ground work, irrigation, harvesting, grading, storage! It's mental the amount of money being thrown around! But what is profit?

 

[Bossfarmer]

when you look at the costs though I wouldn't have rent to pay just a notional rent for 70 acres, no additional labour or tractors

 

[Bossfarmer]

you can get away with normal sheds for storage though for a few months

 

[TripleSix]

Second hand tattie gear is cheap, really cheap.

but costs a fortune to service and maintain....

A used harvester can be got for a grand, but it may need a main web on it for £1400.
and £400 of bearings.
and a £550 tyre
and £800 of rollers......

 

[Bossfarmer]

Still a lot cheaper than a new one id have though tho

 

[Bill the Bass]

Well at least you will have a shed full of Black and White Bulls to feed any spuds to that don't make the grade!

 

[billboy 1]

Stop looking over the hedge and get on with your own you should have enough to be going on with if your other threads are real

 

[Clive]

it just shows they've got money to burn not a lot been bought the last two years now theyre all at it, I know 3 big growers that have bought farms in the last month

I think the last time there was enough money in potatoes to by a farm out of a years profits was 1976 ............................ let's get real please, even £200 / t is no lotto win I'm pretty sure

 

[2wheels]

it just shows they've got money to burn not a lot been bought the last two years now theyre all at it, I know 3 big growers that have bought farms in the last month

a bit of advice from an old git, get your head down and do what you are doing to the best of your ability and stop worrying about others. this advice is free and you don't have to take it. still enjoy your post though.

 

[septimus]

you have obviously costed it out carefully and can see a good profit in the job so whats holding you back? Get your 70 tonne of seed ordered up now before everyone else realises it is just a licence to print money and the price of seed goes through the roof.

A lot of those gone out are regretting it this year though many growers have averaged over £200/tonne some as high as £270/tonne, farms are being bought, fendts/combines round here this has all happened in the last two months, I will never be able to compete with these farmers for land working with sucklers/grain the turnover just doesn't compare

 

[Hilly]

If rent is 400 acre and land sells for 10k its going to take 25 years to pay it off not including interest, still dosent look very good to me.

 

[Bossfarmer]

it will take careful planning and detailed costing before I can progress with that