Machinery costs represent a significant proportion of total costs on grain farms. Machinery depreciation, machinery repairs, fuel, machinery hire and leasing, utilities, and light vehicle expense account for an average of 16 percent of the total economic costs on grain farms enrolled in the Illinois Farm Business Farm Management (FBFM) Association. There also is considerable variability in machinery costs across farms, with more profitable farms tending to have lower per acre machinery costs (see Illinois Farm Economics: Facts and Opinions. “Do Some Farms Consistently Have Higher Profits than Other Farms?” FEFO 01-15, July 20, 2001).
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