EGGPLANT, FRESH MARKET, TRICKLE IRRIGATED
Kentucky Estimated per Acre Costs and Returns for 2001
	Quantity	Unit	$/Unit	Total
GROSS RETURNS
Eggplant (1 1/9 bu. box)	700	box	$    7.75	$ 5,425.00	a,b
VARIABLE COSTS
Production
Plants	7	1000	$   35.00	$    245.00
Lime	0.5	ton	$   12.12	$       6.06
Fertilizer	10	cwt	$    7.50	$      75.00
Black Plastic/Drip Lines	1	acre	$ 300.00	$    300.00	c
Herbicides	2.5	pts		$      19.55	d
Insecticides	5	apps.		$      34.54	d
Fungicides	3	apps.		$    108.43	d
Irrigation	90	hrs.	$    0.40	$      36.00	c
Hired Labor	25	hrs.	$    8.00	$    200.00
Machinery Variable Costs	1	acre	$   38.16	$      38.16
Total Preharvest Variable Costs				$ 1,062.74
HARVESTING AND MARKETING
Boxes	700	boxes	$    1.00	$    700.00
Plastic Disposal	18	hours	$    8.00	$    144.00
Plastic Disposal Fee	1	fee	$   10.00	$      10.00
Hired Labor
Harvest	$    0.85	box		$    595.00	f
Wash/Pack	$    1.25	box		$    875.00	f
Marketing Costs (10% of Gross)	10.0%	gross		$    542.50
Hauling Labor Charge	10	hours	$    8.00	$      80.00
Hauling Variable Costs	700	boxes	$    0.07	$      49.00	e
Total Harvesting and Marketing Cost				$ 2,995.50
Interest on Variable Costs				$    115.22
TOTAL VARIABLE COST				$ 4,173.46
RETURN ABOVE VARIABLE COSTS				$ 1,251.54
FIXED COSTS
Machinery and Equipment				$    100.02	e
Depreciation on Irrigation System				$    159.94	c
Taxes on Land				$       5.00
Insurance				$      27.13
TOTAL FIXED COSTS				$    292.08
TOTAL EXPENSES				$ 4,465.55
RETURN TO OPERATOR LABOR, LAND, CAPITAL, & MGT.				$    959.45
Operator and Unpaid Family Labor	50	hrs.	$    8.00	$    400.00
RETURN TO LAND, CAPITAL, AND MANAGEMENT				$    559.45
a Based on estimated KY yields
b Price based on USDA season average price received by producers 1994-2000 and 2000 terminal market price trends in Atlanta, Detroit, and St. Louis.
c 2000 UK estimate for trickle irrigation.  Based on $1244 fixed costs, st. line depreciation, 7-year useful life
d Pesticide costs based on recommended applications of various products using 2000 UK product costs
e Machinery costs based on 2000 Iowa State estimated machinery costs adjusted to Kentucky and vegetable production
f  Based on Georgia Vegetable Production Budgets and UK estimates