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Crop Information
Iceberg Lettuce
Iceberg lettuce, or regular head lettuce, is the staple of produce grown in Yuma County. There are 70 commercial varieties of iceberg lettuce seed, some of which grow better in the heat and some grow better in the cooler weather, and the seed choice can sometimes be the deciding factor on the success of the season. Iceberg lettuce costs about $2,200 per acre to grow and should produce 700 to 800 cartons to the acre, which would result in a per carton growing cost of almost $3.00. The harvest and cooling cost is approximately $5.50 per carton. Therefore, when the lettuce market is returning less than $8.00 per carton, the crop is probably not returning a profit.
This is one of the few remaining truly supply and demand products in our economy today. The head lettuce, if kept cool, will last 25 to 30 days after harvest. However, this includes the time it is stored in a cold room warehouse, the time of transportation from the cooler to the market place, and any additional time of "inter-city" storage and/or delivery.
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| Nutritional Highlights |
Iceberg lettuce
(raw, shredded), 1 cup (56g) |
Calories: 6.6
Protein: 0.55g
Carbohydrate: 1.15g
Total Fat: 0.104g
Fiber: 0.77g |
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Typically this leaves 10 to 20 days that the grocer has to display and sell his lettuce to the public. Therefore, if the public doesn't "demand" as much lettuce as the grocery store has purchased, the "supply" has exceeded the economic range for the product. If the grocery store has purchased 24 heads of lettuce for $8.40, they have $0.35 cost invested per head of lettuce. The delivery (transportation) can cost an additional $0.25, or more, giving the grocer a total cost of $0.60 per head of lettuce. Therefore, if you find lettuce on "sale" at the store at 3 heads for $1, you are getting the advantage of his "over supply", or he got a good buy and is passing it along to you. Produce is not a product that can be kept in the back room indefinitely, it must be used or it will spoil.
Ranch Budget - Iceberg Lettuce
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Budget |
| Land Cost (Rent) |
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600.00 |
| Water (@ $15.00/acre Ft) - Acre Ft = |
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4.00 |
60.00 |
| Land Preparation (Tractor Work) |
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401.50 |
| Seed |
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100.00 |
| Sprinkle to Germinate |
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175.00 |
| Thinning & Weeding |
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125.00 |
| Fertilizer & Application |
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350.00 |
| Chemicals & Application |
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200.00 |
| Irrigation (Labor) |
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100.00 |
| Misc. |
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10.00 |
| Growing Supervision |
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65.00 |
| Total Growing Cost |
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2,186.50 |
| Harvest (Per Carton) |
4.10 |
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3,280.00 |
| Cooling (Per Carton) |
0.40 |
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320.00 |
| Administration |
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150.00 |
| Total Cost |
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5,936.50 |
| Yield (Cartons Per Acre) |
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800 |
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| Value ($ Per Carton) |
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7.50 |
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| Total Crop Income (Per Acre) |
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6,000.00 |
| Net Crop Income (Per Acre) |
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63.50 |
The sequence of events in the growing of a produce crop are as follows:
(The land has to be prepared, from a previous crop)
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Cost Per Acre |
| Disc |
Grower |
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16.00 |
| Chisel |
Grower |
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40.00 |
| Disc |
Grower |
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16.00 |
| Laser |
Grower |
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55.00 |
| Chisel-Plow |
Grower |
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35.00 |
| Pre-Irrigate |
Grower |
20 |
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| Disc |
Grower |
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16.00 |
| Spread Fertilizer |
Contract |
10.00 |
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| Spray Herbicide and Disc |
Grower |
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20.00 |
| List (make beds in field) |
Grower |
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20.00 |
| Preshape the beds |
Grower |
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15.00 |
| Plant (42" Beds) |
Grower |
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40.00 |
| Sprinkle Crop to Emergence |
Grower or Contract |
175.00 |
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| Water - Flood Irrigate |
Grower |
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20 |
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| Thin |
Contract |
75.00 |
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| Cultivate |
Grower |
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17.50 |
| Spike |
Grower |
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15.00 |
| Weed |
Contract |
50.00 |
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| Sidedress |
Grower |
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17.50 |
| Shape Furrows & Bed Side |
Grower |
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15.00 |
| Water - Furrow Irrigate |
Grower |
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20 |
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| Spike |
Grower |
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15.00 |
| Sidedress |
Grower |
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17.50 |
| Shape Furrows & Bed Side |
Grower |
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15.00 |
| Water - Furrow Irrigate |
Grower |
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20 |
| Water - Furrow Irrigate |
Grower |
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20 |
| Harvest |
Contract |
3.50 - 5.00 |
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| Disc |
Grower |
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16.00 |
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20 |
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100 |
401.50 |
Inputs to the crop include:
| Seed |
Vendor |
100.00 |
| Fertilizer (Dry & Liquid) |
Vendor |
350.00 |
| Chemicals: |
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| Herbicide |
Vendor |
100.00 |
| Insecticide |
Vendor |
100.00 |
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200.00 |
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