I. The Introduction
One of the important data sets that are highly demanded by the clientele and stakeholders is the costs and returns incurred in producing agricultural commodities. It has been gaining more attention because of its varied uses and applications for the policy analysts, national accounts compilers, farmers, and other entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector. They can use these data in selecting the most profitable set of crops to plant during a particular season.
The survey generates benchmark costs and returns structure and estimates. Meanwhile, for the non-survey years, costs and returns data are updated using the current levels of production and yield, and prices of inputs and outputs.
The Production Costs and Returns of Selected Agricultural Commodities report presents the estimates of updated production costs and returns of selected agricultural commodities at the national level. It contains 26 agricultural commodities classified into Fruits, Nuts, Root Crops, Vegetables, Legumes, Commercial Crops, and Fisheries. For the selected commodities, the following are the survey years:
Commodity | Survey Year/s | Commodity | Survey Year/s |
Calamansi | 1998 | Cassava | 1998, 2014 |
Durian | 1997 | Sweet Potato | 1997, 2014 |
Mango | 1996 | Onion (Red) | 1997, 2002, 2006, 2013 |
Papaya | 1999 | Onion (Multiplier) | 1997, 2002, 2006, 2013 |
Pineapple | 1999 | Garlic | 1997, 2002, 2006, 2013 |
Watermelon | 1999 | Ampalaya | 1999 |
Cashew Nut | 1996 | Cabbage | 1996 |
Pili Nut | 1997 | Carrot | 1996 |
Cauliflower | 1996 | Mongo | 1997 |
Eggplant | 1998 | Peanut | 1997 |
Habitchuelas | 1996 | Coffee | 1998 |
White Potato | 1996 | Milkfish | 2001, 2006 |
Stringbeans | 1999 | Tilapia | 2002, 2011 |
Tomato | 1998, 2017 |
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The costs of production of temporary crops are the total expenses incurred in production during the current season. For permanent crops like calamansi, durian, mango, papaya, coffee, cashew nut, and pili nut, costs of production refer to maintenance costs of the farms.
The complete cost structures and profitability measures are presented by nature of costs incurred i.e., cash costs, non-cash costs and imputed costs.
II. Data Sources
Variable | Sources |
Volume of Production and Area Harvested for: Crops Fisheries | PSA |
CPI by items | PSA |
Prevailing Investment Rates | BSP |
Dealer’s Price of Fertilizer and Pesticide | FPA |
Nominal Wage Rates | PSA |
III. Methodology
Data on the costs and returns are updated using a given set of assumptions and procedures. These are summarized in the following tables:
III.1 Other Crops
ITEM | BASIS/PROCEDURE |
---|---|
1. Cost of seeds/planting materials |
movement of the farmgate price |
(Cash, Non-cash and Imputed) | |
2. Irrigation fee | |
3. Lease rental | |
4. Rental value of owned land | |
5. Landlord's share | |
6. Harvester/thresher/sheller's share | - movement of the gross value of yield |
7. Cost of fertilizer | - quantity used from the survey results multiplied by the current retail price of fertilizer by grade |
8. Cost of pesticides | |
Solid | - movement of the retail price for selected pesticides |
Liquid | - quantity used from the survey results multiplied by the current retail price of pesticides |
9. Soil ameliorants | - movement of the retail price of fertilizer |
10. Cost of mulching materials | - movement of the retail price of fertilizer |
11. Labor costs (hired, unpaid operator, family and exchange labor) | - number of mandays from the survey results multiplied by the current agricultural wage rates |
12. Rentals (tools, equipment, machine, and animals) | - movement of agricultural wage rates |
13. Food cost | - movement of CPI for food |
14. Transport cost | - movement of CPI for transport |
15. Fuel and oil | - movement of CPI for fuel and oil |
16. Repair cost | - movement of CPI for minor repairs |
17. Electricity cost | - movement of CPI for light |
18. Interest on crop loans | - increase of 10.0 percent per annum |
19. Other production costs | - movement of CPI for all items |
20. Depreciation cost | - increase of 10.0 percent per annum |
21. Interest on operating capital | - based on Average Lending Rates from BSP |
22. Land tax | - increase of one (1.0) percent per annum |
III.2 Milkfish and Tilapia
ITEM | BASIS/PROCEDURE | ||
---|---|---|---|
1. Stocking materials (fry, fingerlings)(Cash, Non-cash and Imputed) | - movement of farmgate prices | ||
2. Fertilizer Organic Inorganic | - movement of the average retail prices of all fertilizer types - quantity used from the survey results multiplied by the current retail price of fertilizer by grade | ||
3. Feeds | - movement of CPI for all items | ||
4. Pesticides, other chemicals, other inputs | - movement of the retail prices for all types of pesticides | ||
5. Land tax | - 1.0 percent per annum | ||
6. Rental: Land Machine, tools and equipment | - movement of farmgate prices | ||
7. Labor cost (hired, unpaid operator, family and exchange labor) | - movement of agricultural wage rates | ||
8. Fuel and oil | - movement of CPI for fuel and oil | ||
9. Transport cost of inputs | - movement of CPI for transport | ||
10. Irrigation fee | - movement of farmgate prices | ||
11. License/permit | - movement of Fishpond Lease Agreement (FLA) rates | ||
12. Interest payment on crop loans | - increase of 10.0 percent per annum | ||
13. Electricity | - movement of CPI for light | ||
14. Food expense | - movement of CPI for food | ||
15. Repairs | - movement of CPI for minor repairs | ||
16. Other expense (containers, etc) | - movement of CPI for all items | ||
17. Other laborer's share | - movement of agricultural wage rates | ||
18. Landlord's share | - movement of farmgate prices | ||
19. Harvester's share | - movement of gross value of yield | ||
20. Lease rental | - movement of farmgate prices | ||
21. Depreciation | - increase of 10.0 percent per annum | ||
22. Interest on operating capital | - based on Average Lending Rates from BSP | ||
23. Rental value of owned land | - movement of farmgate prices |
The measures of farm profitability are as follows:
Gross Returns = Total production x Farmgate price
Returns above cash cost = Gross returns - Cash cost
Returns above cash and non-cash cost = Gross returns - (Cash cost + Non + cash cost)
Total Cost = Cash cost + Non-cash cost + Imputed cost
Net Returns = Gross returns - Total cost
Net profit - Cost ratio = Net returns/Total cost
IV. Concepts and Definition of Terms
Cost Classification
Cash Costs – are direct cash outlays or cash payments for the use of different factors of production such as labor, fertilizers and chemicals.
Non-Cash Costs – are expenditures that are paid in kind. Valuation of cost items makes use of the prevailing prices in the community. Generally, these non-cash costs represent the portions of the farmer's production that serve as payments for the use of particular factors of production.
Imputed Costs – are expenditures that do not involve actual outlays in cash or in kind; they represent the opportunity costs of using owned resources in a particular activity and are computed using the values of the best alternative uses foregone.
Total Costs – refer to the sum of cash costs, non–cash costs and imputed costs.
Indicators of Profitability
Gross Returns – refer to the gross value of production. It is derived by multiplying the total volume of production by the farmgate or producer price.
Gross Returns = Production x Farmgate Price
Returns Above Cash Costs – returns after deducting the total cash outlays from the total value of production.
Returns Above Cash Costs = Gross Returns - Cash Costs
Returns Above Cash and Non-Cash Costs – returns after subtracting the cash and non-cash costs from the total value of production.
Returns Above Cash and Non-Cash Costs = Gross Return - (Cash Costs + Non-Cash Costs)
Net Returns – refers to the net profit after subtracting all expenses incurred from the total value of production.
Net Returns = Gross Returns – Total Costs
Net Profit-Cost Ratio – determines the rate of return to the farmers (the amount earned by the farmer for every peso spent in the production).
Net Profit-Cost Ratio = Net Return ÷ Total Costs
Return on Investments – measures the amount of return on an investment, relative to the investment costs. The result is expressed in percentage.
Return on Investments= Net Profit-Cost Ratio x 100
Specific Cost Items
Seeds/Planting materials – are plant materials used for sowing purposes for the production of food, fodder, oil, industrial crops, vegetable, fruit flower, lawn and tree crops and include vegetative parts and/or organs used for propagating the crops/species.
Fertilizers – refer to any substance, solid or liquid, inorganic or organic, natural or synthetic, single or combination of materials that is applied to the soil or on the plant to provide one or more of the essential elements to improve plant nutrition, growth, yield or quality, or for promoting a chemical change that enhances plant nutrition and growth.
Soil ameliorants – are elements placed or mixed into the soil to replenish depleted soil nutrients for better plant growth.
Pesticides – refer to chemicals used to control/eradicate insects, pests and weeds.
Mulching materials – refer to the layer of material applied to the surface of an area of soil to conserve moisture, improve the fertility and health of the soil and reduce weed growth.
Paid Labor
Hired labor – is labor provided by a person who is paid by the farm operator. Payment of wages is either in cash or in kind (as agreed). Hired labor includes a man, eventually in combination with an animal or machine in the case of custom services (wages as well as in-kind payments have to be considered).
Unpaid Labor
Operator labor – is labor contributed by the farm operator.
Family labor – is labor provided by the farmer's family members who take part in any production activities.
Exchange labor – is work done by farm laborers in exchange (or as payment) for the work done by the farm operator and family members outside the operator’s own farm.
Mandays of unpaid labor are valued at prevailing wage rate in the locality.
Land tax – is amount of tax paid by the owner-operator for the farmland.
Rentals – refer to payments for the use of land, machine, animal, tools, and farm machineries.
Fuel and Oil – refer to the cost incurred for the use of gasoline, oil, and other related inputs.
Transport costs of inputs – are expenditures incurred in transporting farm inputs to the production sites.
Transport costs of produce from farm to first point of sale – refer to expenditures incurred in transporting farm produce to the first point of sale. In this case, the farmer receives a price upon delivery of his product from the farm to a specific location (first point of sale).
Interest payment on crop loan – refers to payment for the interest on borrowed capital used in the farm operations.
Landlord’s/Landowner’s share – is the portion of farmer’s production that goes to the owner of farmland based on the agreed sharing arrangement. The valuation is based on the price at which the produce is sold or would be sold in the market.
Financier’s share – is the portion of farmer’s production that goes to the financier of the farm operations based on the agreed sharing arrangement.
Repairs – cover all repairs and improvements made on tools and equipment and other facilities used in the production process.
Food expenses – expenditures incurred in providing food to exchange and hired laborers.
Harvesters’ share – refers to the portion of farmer’s production that serves as payment to farm laborers who perform the harvesting.
Water expense – is the payment in cash reported by farmers for the water consumed in the production process during the reference period.
Electricity cost – is payment for electricity consumed in the production process.
Storage fee – refers to the payment in storing the produce in a suitable place for a period of time before disposition or distribution.
Depreciation – refers to the cost of wear and tear of farm tools and equipment, machinery and other farm facilities and structures. It is computed as cost of acquisition divided by the estimated lifespan of farm equipment.
Interest on operating capital – is the cost of capital foregone for the purchase of seeds, fertilizers, chemicals and payment of wages for hired labor. This is derived by multiplying the total cash outlays by the prevailing lending rates from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
Rental value of owned land/animal – is the imputed cost for the use of own farmland or animal which is derived by asking the farmer how much would be the annual value of the land or value of the animal per cropping if it will be rented out.
V. Dissemination of Results
Title | Schedule of Release |
Production Costs and Returns for Selected Agricultural Commodities | October of the Current Year |
Statistical tables and publication report are included in the web release.
VI. Citation
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2022). Technical Notes on Production Costs and Returns of Selected Agricultural Commodities. https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/technical-notes/167182
VII. Contact Information
Ms. Manuela S. Nalugon
(Supervising Statistical Specialist)
Officer-in-Charge
Agricultural Accounts Division
(02) 8376-1954
m.nalugon@psa.gov.ph
For data request, you may contact:
Knowledge Management and Communications Division
(02) 8462-6600 loc. 820
info@psa.gov.ph | kmcd.staff@psa.gov.ph