CANTALOUPE, FRESH MARKET, TRICKLE IRRIGATED
Kentucky Estimated per Acre Costs and Returns for 2001
	Quantity	Unit	$/Unit	Total
GROSS RETURNS
Cantaloupes	7200	cantaloupes	$    0.75	$   5,400.00	a,b
VARIABLE COSTS
Production
Plants	3.6	1000	$   75.00	$      270.00
Lime	0.5	ton	$   12.12	$         6.06
Fertilizer: 5-10-10 Spread	10	cwt	$    7.50	$       75.00
Fertilizer: Side Dressing 33.5%N	1.2	cwt	$   12.50	$       15.00
Black Plastic/Drip Lines	1	acre	$ 300.00	$      300.00	c
Herbicides	2	qts		$       27.30	d
Insecticides	5	apps.		$       47.30	d
Fungicides	3	apps.		$      159.49	d
Pollination	1	hive	$   40.00	$       40.00
Irrigation	90	hrs.	$    0.40	$       36.00	c
Additional Hired Labor  (Transplants)	15	hrs.	$    7.00	$      105.00
Machinery Variable Costs	1	acre	$   38.41	$       38.41	e
Total Preharvest Variable Costs				$   1,119.56
HARVESTING AND MARKETING
Plastic Disposal	18	hours	$    8.00	$      144.00
Plastic Disposal Fee	1	fee	$   10.00	$       10.00
Hired Labor
Harvest	72	hours	$    8.00	$      576.00	f
Grading	5	hours	$    8.00	$       40.00	f
Bins for Harvest	70	bins	$    9.00	$      630.00
Marketing Costs (10% of Gross)	10.0%	gross		$      540.00
Hauling Variable Costs	7200	melons	$    0.03	$      216.00	e
Total Harvesting and Marketing Cost				$   2,156.00
Interest on Variable Costs				$       98.89
TOTAL VARIABLE COST				$   3,374.46
RETURN ABOVE VARIABLE COSTS				$   2,025.54
FIXED COSTS
Machinery and Equipment				$      423.40	e
Depreciation on Irrigation System				$      159.94	c
Taxes on Land				$         5.00
Insurance				$       27.00
TOTAL FIXED COSTS				$      615.34
TOTAL EXPENSES				$   3,989.79
RETURN TO OPERATOR LABOR, LAND, CAPITAL, & MGT.				$   1,410.21
Operator and Unpaid Family Labor	50	hrs.	$    8.00	$      400.00
RETURN TO LAND, CAPITAL, AND MANAGEMENT				$   1,010.21
a Average Yield for US was 210 cwt per acre in 1999.  KY yields with trickle irrigation system are significantly higher
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 IA State standards and modified for KY vegetable production
f  Based on state budgets with revisions by Kentucky vegetable experts.