California Lettuce and Broccoli Growers Get Help To See Production Costs Add up
California Central Coast growers and others now have help estimating costs and potential returns for growing lettuce and broccoli. Four new cost studies for lettuce and broccoli grown in Santa Cruz, San Benito, or Monterey counties have been released by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Cooperative Extension, and the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
“These studies provide growers with a baseline to estimate their own costs, which can help when applying for production loans, projecting labor costs, securing market arrangements or understanding costs associated with water and nutrient management and regulatory programs,” says Brittney Goodrich, UC Cooperative Extension specialist and study co-author.
The cost studies model a management scenario for a 1,500-acre coastal vegetable operation, where lettuce and broccoli are rotated with other cool season vegetable and berry crops. Each study describes the cultural practices used to produce each crop including land preparation, soil fertility and pest management, irrigation and labor needs. Harvest costs also are shown.
Six tables show the individual costs of each operation for lettuce and broccoli, material input costs, and cash and non-cash overhead costs in a variety of formats. A ranging analysis shows potential profits over a range of prices and yields.
To see 2023 sample cost studies to produce and harvest romaine hearts lettuce, wrapped iceberg lettuce, bunched broccoli and broccoli crowns and more, visit https://coststudies.ucdavis.edu.
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