Return to the KASS Homepage

Go to Table of Contents

2003

RATES PAID BY KANSAS FARMERS

FOR CUSTOM WORK

KANSAS AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE

In Cooperation With

U.S. Department of Agriculture Kansas Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service Division of Statistics

P.O. Box 3534

632 SW Van Buren, Rm. 200

Topeka, Kansas 66601-3534

Phone (785) 233-2230

Compiled by

Joel Golz, Agricultural Statistician Eldon J. Thiessen, State Statistician

Dona Ratliff, Research Analyst Eddie Wells, Deputy State Statistician

Glennis Stock and Patty Dwight, Statistical Assistant

Judy Allison, Editorial Assistant

January 2004

The ranges and averages in this bulletin reflect the rates paid by Kansas farmers during 2003 for various custom operations.

Special thanks are due the almost 1,770 custom operators, farmers, and ranchers who took the time to report the data in this publication. Our appreciation also goes to the Cooperative Extension Service's county agricultural agents who reviewed the survey questionnaire.

Eldon J. Thiessen

State Statistician

KANSAS AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS DISTRICTS

NW	NC	NE
WC	C	EC
SW	SC	SE

Go to Top of File

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Grain Harvesting

(Wheat, Soybeans, Alfalfa, and Red Clover)

Historical Averages

Grain Hauling

(Wheat, Grain Sorghum, Corn, Soybeans, and Sunflowers)

Silage Operations

Haying

Mowing, Swathing, Conditioning, and Sideraking

Land Tillage

Plowing and Undercutting

Field Cultivation

Historical Averages

Planting

Regular-Till Planting

Grass and Legume Seeding

Historical Averages

Minimal-Till or No-Till Planting

Historical Averages

Chemical Applications

Row Crop Cultivation

Dry and Liquid Fertilizers

INTRODUCTION

Go to Table of Contents

This publication reports average rates paid by Kansas farmers for custom work in 2003. The figures come from an annual survey of Kansas farmers, custom operators, coops and elevators. Questionnaires were mailed to about 3,200 operations. Almost 1,570 responded by mail or telephone.

The Custom Rates book is intended to be a guide to help custom operators and farmers reach mutual agreements. The prices reported here should not be regarded as official or established rates. The average figures in this book give equal weight to all reports received.

The prices in this book are charges for machines, power, fuel, and operator. Costs of chemicals, seeds, and most other materials are excluded. The one exception is hay baling materials. Exchange work between farmers is not considered custom work.

There are large variations in the rates charged for specific jobs. For many items, the State averages may not be typical of any particular locale. There are many reasons for price differences. Some farmers may charge lower prices to neighbors, relatives, or close friends. Soil conditions and field sizes are also significant factors. Rates are often lower in western Kansas where the larger farms are well suited to extensive operation with heavy equipment.

The average custom rates charged in 2003 are generally similar to those reported in 2002. At the State level, most average prices changed by less than 10 percent, up or down. Of the more than 130 custom work items or machinery rentals in this report, 74 increased in price, 12 were unchanged, and 48 decreased in price. The report contains historical tables and graphs which show the results of previous surveys.

In the past year we have received many comments about the Custom Rates report from the agricultural community. We appreciate this feedback and encourage readers to continue sharing their ideas and suggestions regarding this survey.

GRAIN HARVESTING

Go to Table of Contents

WHEAT: Rates for custom combining wheat averaged $14.04 per acre with, in most cases, an additional average charge of 13.6 cents per bushel for yields greater than 23 bushels per acre. The per acre rate is up 19 cents from last year. Some respondents reported a flat rate per bushel harvesting charge but there were too few reports to publish the data.

Custom Rates for Combine Harvesting of Wheat, 2003

District	No. of Reports 1/	Dollars per Acre		No. of Reports 1/	Extra Charge for High Yield
District	No. of Reports 1/	Range	Avg.	No. of Reports 1/	¢ per Bu.	Above Bushels

NW	71	10.00-15.00	13.41	67	16.3	20
WC	69	10.00-20.00	13.22	59	13.1	21
SW	87	12.00-21.00	13.29	78	13.1	21

NC	73	10.00-18.00	13.29	66	13.2	22
C	87	10.00-20.00	13.44	70	13.3	31
SC	120	12.00-17.00	13.51	106	13.4	21

NE	43	13.00-25.00	16.93	16	13.6	21
EC	42	12.00-22.00	17.07	9	11.8	29
SE	49	10.00-25.00	15.79	13	11.9	26

STATE	641	10.00-25.00	14.04	484	13.6	23

1/ Reports are counted in each district where combining was done; thus some reports are included in more than one district.

Historical Custom Rates for Wheat Harvesting
Year	Dollars Per Acre	Extra Charge for High Yield
Year	Dollars Per Acre	¢ per Bushel	Above Bushels
1988	12.66	11.6	21
1989	12.71	11.6	21
1990	12.83	11.8	21
1991	12.74	11.8	21
1992	12.90	12.1	21
1993	13.05	12.1	20
1994	13.03	12.2	21
1995	13.02	12.2	20
1996	13.32	12.4	20
1997	13.33	12.6	21
1998	13.32	12.6	21
1999	13.29	12.6	21
2000	13.68	12.8	21
2001	13.77	13.1	20
2002	13.80	13.1	22
2003	14.04	13.6	23

GRAIN HARVESTING

Go to Table of Contents

GRAIN SORGHUM: Rates charged for custom harvesting of grain sorghum averaged $15.19 per acre, an increase of 51 cents from last year. Additional charges averaged 13.7 cents per bushel for yields over 35 bushels per acre. Some respondents reported a flat rate per bushel harvesting charge but there were too few reports to publish the data.

Custom Rates for Combine Harvesting of Grain Sorghum, 2003

District	No. of Reports 1/	Dollars per Acre		No. of Reports 1/	Extra Charge for High Yield
District	No. of Reports 1/	Range	Avg.	No. of Reports 1/	¢ per Bu.	Above Bushels

NW	37	12.00-20.00	14.19	28	13.4	33
WC	28	12.00-20.00	14.18	24	13.3	34
SW	38	12.00-25.00	14.92	29	13.5	32

NC	46	10.00-25.00	14.24	37	15.9	37
C	45	10.00-20.00	13.91	36	13.2	32
SC	51	12.00-20.00	14.06	42	13.0	35

NE	24	14.00-25.00	17.67	3	14.3	40
EC	20	14.00-25.00	18.65	4	14.8	43
SE	26	13.00-25.00	16.42	9	11.4	44

STATE	315	10.00-25.00	15.19	212	13.7	35

1/ Reports are counted in each district where combining was done; thus some reports are included in more than one district.

Historical Custom Rates for Grain Sorghum Harvesting
Year	Dollars Per Acre	Extra Charge for High Yield
Year	Dollars Per Acre	¢ per Bushel	Above Bushels
1988	13.61	11.9	32
1989	13.58	11.3	34
1990	14.23	11.6	36
1991	13.50	11.8	33
1992	14.15	11.8	36
1993	14.62	12.0	34
1994	14.27	12.0	35
1995	14.27	11.9	36
1996	14.21	12.3	36
1997	14.35	12.5	37
1998	14.42	12.4	37
1999	14.45	12.7	36
2000	14.64	12.6	34
2001	14.58	12.9	35
2002	14.68	13.0	35
2003	15.19	13.7	35

GRAIN HARVESTING

Go to Table of Contents

CORN: The charge to have corn custom harvested in 2003 was $19.50 per acre with some operators adding an average extra charge of 14.3 cents per bushel for yields above 69 bushels per acre. This is an increase of 35 cents per acre from the previous year.

Custom Rates for Combine Harvesting of Corn, by Districts, 2003

Dist.	No. of Rpts. 1/	Cents per Bushel		No. of Rpts. 1/	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts. 1/	Extra Charge for High Yields
Dist.	No. of Rpts. 1/	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts. 1/	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts. 1/	¢ Per Bushel	Above Bushels

NW	24	12-45	24	7	14.00-20.00	17.29	5	13.4	60
WC	12	16-30	25	3	13.00-25.00	17.33	2/
SW	32	16-50	26	6	13.00-25.00	19.17	3	15.0	78

NC	5	22-25	23	13	12.00-32.00	20.31	6	14.3	70
C	22	16-28	23	9	12.00-22.00	18.00	4	13.8	60
SC	41	15-32	24	14	12.00-20.00	18.00	6	15.2	75

NE	6	20-27	23	46	15.00-27.00	20.62	6	13.7	77
EC	2/			36	15.00-25.00	19.58	3	18.3	54
SE	2/			22	15.00-25.00	19.14	2/

STATE	146	12-50	24	156	12.00-32.00	19.50	37	14.3	69

1/ Reports are counted in districts where combining was done; thus some reports are included in more than one district. 2/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Historical Custom Rates for Corn Harvesting

Year	Dollars per Acre	Extra Charge for High Yield		Flat Rate Charge
Year	Dollars per Acre	¢ per Bushel	Above Bushels	¢ per Bushel
1988	17.78	12.2	64	22
1989	18.64	13.0	66	19
1990	18.27	12.1	78	21
1991	18.30	9.5	58	21
1992	18.35	10.7	67	22
1993	18.21	11.8	58	21
1994	18.23	10.1	65	22
1995	17.79	12.4	62	21
1996	18.77	12.6	63	23
1997	18.72	12.3	66	23
1998	18.96	12.7	59	23
1999	19.28	12.0	70	24
2000	19.23	14.7	66	23
2001	19.43	11.9	48	23
2002	19.15	14.8	87	24
2003	19.50	14.3	69	24

GRAIN HARVESTING

Go to Table of Contents

SOYBEANS: The charge to harvest soybeans increased by 6 cents per acre to $19.35. Some operators added an extra charge averaging 13.3 cents per bushel for yields above 26 bushels per acre. Some respondents reported a flat rate per bushel harvesting charge but there were too few reports to publish the data.

Custom Rates for Combine Harvesting of Soybeans, 2003

District	No. of Rpts. 1/	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts. 1/	Extra Charge for High Yield
District	No. of Rpts. 1/	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts. 1/	¢ per Bu.	Above Bushels

NW	22	13.00-25.00	19.77	8	12.5	28
WC	7	11.00-25.00	19.57	4	12.5	33
SW	19	13.00-26.00	20.42	7	13.7	26

NC	32	12.00-25.00	19.94	7	14.1	21
C	33	13.00-28.00	18.97	10	13.2	24
SC	50	12.00-27.00	19.28	16	13.8	27

NE	50	14.00-25.00	20.56	2/
EC	47	15.00-25.00	19.00	3	11.7	27
SE	35	15.00-25.00	17.43	5	12.2	30

STATE	295	11.00-28.00	19.35	61	13.3	26

1/ Reports are counted in each district where combining was done; thus some reports are included in more than one district. 2/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Historical Custom Rates for Soybean Harvesting

Year Dollars

Per

Acre
Extra Charge for

High Yield

¢ per

Bushel
Above

Bushels

1988 17.31 12.1 24

1989 17.58 12.3 26

1990 17.92 13.0 25

1991 18.07 12.1 22

1992 18.63 12.5 22

1993 17.96 12.5 23

1994 18.15 12.2 25

1995 17.65 12.2 25

1996 18.54 12.7 24

1997 18.68 12.4 26

1998 18.85 12.8 27

1999 18.69 13.0 25

2000 19.15 12.5 25

2001 19.48 12.7 24

2002 19.29 13.4 28

2003 19.35 13.3 26

GRAIN HARVESTING

Go to Table of Contents

SUNFLOWERS: Custom harvesting of sunflowers averaged $18.90 per acre in 2003. This compares to the average of $17.80 per acre in 2002.

Custom Rates for Combine Harvesting of Sunflowers, 2003

Dist.	Number of Rpts. 1/	Dollars per Acre
Dist.	Number of Rpts. 1/	Range	Avg.

NW	11	13.00-23.00	19.36
WC	6	18.00-23.00	20.17
SW	9	17.00-22.00	19.44

NC	10	13.00-25.00	18.10
C	4	17.00-20.00	18.25
SC	8	14.00-23.00	18.63

NE	2/
EC	2/
SE	2/

ST	52	13.00-25.00	18.90

Historical Custom Rates for Sunflower Harvesting

Year Dollars per Acre Extra Charges for

High Yield

¢ per

Bushel
Above

Bushels

1993 16.06 12.0 27

1994 16.55 11.3 37

1995 16.52 2/ 2/

1996 17.10 11.0 30

1997 17.69 11.6 18

1998 16.94 11.9 37

1999 18.35 12.0 34

2000 16.33 12.7 30

2001 17.93 13.8 26

2002 17.80 13.1 21

2003 18.90 13.7 20

1/ Reports are counted in each district where combining was done; thus, some reports are included in more than one district. 2/ Insufficient data to publish; included in State totals.

SEED CLEANING

Go to Table of Contents

Wheat seed cleaning with treatment averaged 90 cents per bushel. Rates for cleaning wheat without treatment averaged 48 cents per bushel. The average cost for cleaning soybeans with treatment was $1.10 per bushel, while the cost excluding treatment averaged 50 cents. Cleaning alfalfa seed without treatment cost 33 cents per pound. There were not enough reports for cleaning red clover or alfalfa seed with treatment to be published.

Custom Rates for Seed Cleaning, 2003

Dist.	WHEAT						SOYBEANS
	With Treatment			Without Treatment			With Treatment			Without Treatment
	Number of Rpts.	Cents per Bushel		Number of Rpts.	Cents per Bushel		Number of Rpts.	Cents per Bushel		Number of Rpts.	Cents per Bushel
	Number of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	Number of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	Number of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	Number of Rpts.	Range	Avg.

NW	6	45-135	71	12	30-65	41	-			-
WC	6	35-130	68	12	30-50	41	-			-
SW	-			15	40-65	46	-			-

NC	13	50-165	90	24	25-100	49	1/			6	50-60	53
C	18	40-215	102	30	40-75	53	1/			4	40-60	48
SC	14	30-210	95	40	25-100	46	-			1/

NE	4	30-180	113	6	35-83	51	1/			1/
EC	3	40-130	87	6	35-75	53	1/			1/
SE	5	45-190	106	14	25-50	41	3	45-190	95	7	25-60	41

ST	69	30-215	90	159	25-100	48	8	45-190	110	22	25-83	50

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Go to Table of Contents

Historical Custom Rates for Seed Cleaning

Crop	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Wheat (Cents/Bushel)
With Treatment	87	91	94	103	86	90
Without Treatment	43	44	46	46	46	48
Soybeans (Cents/Bushel)
With Treatment	68	109	81	126	137	110
Without Treatment	44	46	46	50	47	50
Alfalfa (Cents/Pound)
With Treatment	1/	1/	-	1/	1/	1/
Without Treatment	22	18	1/	13	25	33
Red Clover (Cents/Pound)
With Treatment	1/	1/	-	1/	1/	1/
Without Treatment	20	13	1/	12	27	1/

1/ Insufficient data to publish; included in State totals.

GRAIN HAULING

Go to Table of Contents

Custom rates for hauling wheat, grain sorghum, corn, and soybeans from the field to farm or to the nearest elevator increased from 2002 to 2003. The overall average charge for these four crops was 13.1 cents per bushel with an extra charge of 1.1 cents per bushel per mile over 15 miles. This compares with 2002 averages of 13.6 cents per bushel plus the 1.1 cent a bushel per mile over 16 miles. Only reports which included both a mileage limit and a per mile charge for additional miles were tabulated in the over basic mileage column.

Custom Rates for Hauling Grain from Field to Farm Storage

Or Elevator, 2003

District	No. of Reports	Cents per Bu.	Miles Limit	Cents/bu. /Mile Over Basic Mileage	No. of Reports	Cents per Bu.	Miles Limit	Cents/bu. /Mile Over Basic Mileage
	Wheat				Grain Sorghum
NW	46	13.1	14	0.9	21	13.0	14	0.7
WC	56	13.6	12	1.1	20	13.2	12	1.0
SW	49	13.0	13	0.8	12	12.9	10	1.0

NC	60	13.1	13	1.1	35	13.1	13	1.0
C	55	12.7	14	0.7	22	12.5	17	0.7
SC	97	13.1	14	1.5	35	17.9	14	1.1

NE	32	13.7	22	1.0	18	12.8	23	1.2
EC	23	11.1	13	1.6	13	11.6	14	2.0
SE	33	12.9	11	0.9	19	12.7	11	0.9

STATE	451	13.0	14	1.0	195	13.7	14	0.9

	Corn				Soybeans
NW	9	12.3	16	0.6	13	12.2	11	0.9
WC	5	11.2	16	1.0	1/
SW	8	10.5	14	1.3	6	13.8	8	1.3

NC	8	13.5	17	1.5	14	12.7	15	1.5
C	9	10.9	19	0.8	18	11.7	16	0.8
SC	20	10.2	14	1.2	27	12.6	13	1.0

NE	35	12.0	25	1.2	32	12.6	23	1.3
EC	20	11.0	14	1.7	25	12.1	17	1.8
SE	17	11.1	12	1.0	19	11.9	12	0.9

STATE	131	11.4	17	1.1	156	12.4	16	1.1

Region	No. of Reports	Cents per Cwt.	Miles Limit	Cents/Cwt. /Mile Over Basic Mileage
	Sunflowers
West	6	20.2	10	0.7
Central	5	23.2	-	-
Eastern	1/
State	13	20.2	9	0.8

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

SILAGE OPERATIONS

Go to Table of Contents

Custom rates for silage operations were separated into four categories: 1) chopping, hauling, and filling the silo, 2) chopping and hauling, 3) chopping only, and 4) hauling only. The average rate per ton for the complete silage operation was $5.40 per ton, down from $5.68 in 2002. Operations which included only chopping and hauling averaged $4.87 per ton, down 9 cents from 2002, chopping averaged $3.54, compared to $3.17 in 2002, and hauling only averaged $2.24, down from $2.29 last year.

Custom Rates for Making Silage, per Ton, 2003

District	Chopping, Hauling, & Filling Silo			Chopping & Hauling
	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Ton		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Ton
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	1/			10	4.50-5.00	4.73
WC	1/			6	4.50-5.00	4.67
SW	5	5.25-6.50	5.95	8	4.35-5.25	4.68

NC	1/			12	4.50-6.00	5.13
C	8	4.25-6.00	4.91	9	4.00-6.00	4.97
SC	12	4.85-6.00	5.65	14	3.00-5.00	4.66

NE	12	4.25-7.50	5.44	6	4.50-6.50	5.08
EC	1/			6	4.85-5.50	5.12
SE	1/			1/

STATE	47	4.25-7.50	5.40	72	3.00-6.50	4.87

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Silage Chopping, Hauling, 2003

	Chopping Only			Hauling Only
District	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Ton		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Ton
District	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	5	2.25-4.50	3.15	1/
WC	1/			5	2.10-2.25	2.20
SW	7	2.25-5.50	3.50	5	2.10-2.50	2.30

NC	1/			1/
C	5	4.00-6.00	4.75	3	2.00-2.50	2.23
SC	8	2.50-5.00	3.26	7	2.00-2.35	2.17

NE	3	2.70-4.50	3.73	1/
EC	1/			-
SE	-			-

STATE	33	2.25-6.00	3.54	25	2.00-2.50	2.24

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

HAYING

Go to Table of Contents

Mowing or swathing hay cost an average of $8.27 per acre, 15 cents less than in 2002. Mowing or swathing forage cost $9.77 per acre on average. Mowing or swathing with conditioning was $8.68 per acre, 9 cents higher than the 2002 average. The average charge for sideraking hay in 2003 was $2.72 per acre, 23 cents lower than the previous year.

Custom Rates for Mowing or Swathing, 2003

District	Hay			Forage
	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	9	6.00-11.00	8.83	10	9.00-12.00	10.95
WC	13	6.00-10.00	8.96	11	8.00-12.00	9.64
SW	14	8.00-14.00	9.11	13	7.50-14.00	9.73

NC	22	6.00-12.00	8.07	11	6.00-12.00	9.45
C	32	7.00-11.00	8.28	11	8.00-12.00	9.91
SC	39	6.00-10.00	8.19	24	7.00-13.00	9.74

NE	23	5.00-12.00	7.85	1/
EC	14	7.00-9.00	7.77	1/
SE	29	7.00-12.00	8.21	6	8.00-10.00	8.75

STATE	195	5.00-14.00	8.27	90	6.00-14.00	9.77

Custom Rates for Swathing & Conditioning and Sideraking, 2003

District	Swathing and Conditioning			Sideraking
	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	18	6.00-12.00	9.31	9	1.00-5.00	2.28
WC	14	8.00-12.00	9.57	4	1.75-3.00	2.19
SW	29	7.50-12.00	8.88	11	1.00-5.00	3.39

NC	25	6.00-13.00	8.54	10	2.50-4.00	2.91
C	35	7.00-12.00	8.56	16	2.00-5.00	3.06
SC	68	6.00-12.00	8.49	20	1.00-3.75	2.75

NE	18	7.00-12.00	9.08	9	2.00-4.00	2.78
EC	19	6.00-10.00	8.21	13	1.00-4.50	2.88
SE	25	7.00-10.00	8.41	18	1.00-5.00	2.75

STATE	251	6.00-13.00	8.68	110	1.00-5.00	2.72

HAYING

Go to Table of Contents

Custom baling of small square bales with wire cost an average of 57 cents per bale while baling with twine averaged 62 cents in 2003. Large round bales weighing under 1500 lbs. without net wrapping cost an average of $7.67 per bale while bales with net wrapping cost an average of $8.08 per bale. Large round bales weighing over 1500 lbs. without net wrapping cost an average of $7.88 per bale. Bales of the same size but being net wrapped cost an average of $8.94 per bale. The charge for large square bales weighing about one ton averaged $12.41, up $1.21 from 2002.

Custom Rates for Baling Hay, 2003

Type of Bale	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Bale
Type of Bale	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

Small: Square w/Wire	61	0.25-1.25	0.57
Square w/Twine	60	0.30-1.25	0.62
Large: Round (under 1,500 lbs.) wo/net	220	4.00-15.00	7.67
Round (under 1,500 lbs.) w/net	114	4.00-13.00	8.08
Round (over 1,500 lbs.) wo/net	127	5.00-12.00	7.88
Round (over 1,500 lbs.) w/net	105	5.00-17.00	8.94
Square (approx. 1 ton)	39	6.00-23.00	12.41

Custom Rates for Baling, Square Bales, 2003

District	Small Square With Wire			Small Square With Twine			Large Square
	No. of Rpts.	Cents per Bale		No. of Rpts.	Cents per Bale		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Bale
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	-			4	50-75	64	1/
WC	1/			3	40-70	53	4	10.00-13.00	12.00
SW	1/			14	50-100	66	5	10.00-16.00	12.60

NC	1/			5	30-52	42	4	8.00-14.00	11.00
C	3	50-100	67	10	45-125	68	7	11.00-20.00	14.90
SC	14	40-65	52	6	40-55	48	8	7.00-16.00	12.60

NE	10	25-100	59	5	35-60	47	1/
EC	11	40-65	55	11	50-100	72	4	7.00-23.00	14.00
SE	18	40-80	53	1/			4	8.00-14.00	11.00

STATE	61	25-125	57	60	30-125	62	39	6.00-23.00	12.41

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Custom Rates for Baling, Large Round Bales, 2003

	Without Net						With Net
Dist.	Under 1,500 lbs.			Over 1,500 lbs.			Under 1,500 lbs.			Over 1,500 lbs.
	No. of Rpts.	Dol. per Bale		No. of Rpts.	Dol. per Bale		No. of Rpts.	Dol. per Bale		No. of Rpts.	Dol. per Bale
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.

NW	16	6.00-8.50	7.06	7	5.00-10.00	7.29	6	6.00-8.50	6.75	8	6.00-9.00	7.75
WC	12	5.00-9.00	6.73	11	6.00-10.00	7.41	8	4.00-12.00	8.56	6	5.00-11.00	8.83
SW	13	7.00-15.00	9.67	7	8.00-12.00	10.97	11	8.00-13.00	9.59	13	8.00-13.00	9.40

NC	23	6.00-8.75	7.09	15	5.50-9.00	7.62	16	6.00-10.00	7.70	4	6.00-9.00	7.63
C	28	5.50-10.00	7.26	22	6.00-9.00	7.27	16	6.00-11.75	7.66	16	7.00-13.00	8.56
SC	38	6.00-14.00	7.58	26	6.00-10.00	7.73	25	7.00-10.00	8.28	30	7.00-11.00	8.82

NE	29	4.00-14.00	7.57	20	6.50-10.00	7.95	14	5.50-10.00	8.04	14	7.00-15.00	9.54
EC	25	5.00-12.00	7.89	3	6.50-8.00	7.17	8	7.00-13.00	8.31	5	6.00-13.00	9.20
SE	36	6.00-13.00	8.27	16	7.00-11.75	8.45	10	6.00-8.50	7.45	9	8.00-17.00	10.00

STATE	220	4.00-15.00	7.67	127	5.00-12.00	7.88	114	4.00-13.00	8.08	105	5.00-17.00	8.94

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

HAYING

Go to Table of Contents

Custom rates for hauling small bales from field to farm storage averaged 46 cents per bale in 2003, down 3 cents from 2002. Rates for hauling large bales average $3.14 per bale or $4.90 per ton. The custom rate for stacking hay in stacks of 4-6 tons averaged $48.75 and compares to $48.00 in 2002.

Custom Rates for Hauling Small Bales from Field to Storage, 2003

District	No. of Rpts.	Cents per Bale
District	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	1/
WC	1/
SW	6	30-100	48

NC	1/
C	-
SC	4	40-50	43

NE	1/
EC	9	35-55	46
SE	14	25-60	47

STATE	38	25-100	46

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Go to Table of Contents

Custom Rates for Stacking Hay, 2003

Stack Size (Tons)	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Stack
Stack Size (Tons)	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

4-6	6	25.00-60.00	48.75
Over 6	-

Go to Table of Contents

Custom Rates for Hauling Large Bales from Field to Storage, 2003

District	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Bale		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Ton
District	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	6	2.00-6.00	4.00	1/
WC	10	2.00-5.00	3.33	3	2.50-5.00	3.67
SW	12	2.00-8.50	3.40	1/

NC	4	2.00-5.00	3.00	1/
C	10	1.00-5.00	2.50	1/
SC	19	1.00-8.00	3.61	5	2.00-5.00	4.15

NE	12	1.50-5.00	3.08	1/
EC	12	1.00-5.00	2.81	1/
SE	20	1.00-5.00	2.80	-

STATE	105	1.00-8.50	3.14	18	2.00-8.00	4.90

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

HAYING

Go to Table of Contents

Rates per bale for the entire haying operation, including cutting, baling, hauling, and stacking, at $1.29 per small bale, were up 11 cents from 2002. Large bales, at $14.22 per bale, were up 32 cents from 2002. Rates reported on a per ton basis averaged $24.86, down from the 2002 figure of $24.91.

Custom Rates for Entire Haying Operation, per Bale, 2003

District	Small Bales			Large Bales
	No. of Rpts.	Cents per Bale		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Bale
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	-			-
WC	-			-
SW	1/			5	11.00-24.00	17.20

NC	-			1/
C	-			1/
SC	1/			1/

NE	1/			3	15.00-18.00	16.67
EC	4	110-150	120	12	10.00-20.00	13.63
SE	4	125-130	128	14	10.00-20.00	13.50

STATE	13	110-150	129	39	10.00-24.00	14.22

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Custom Rates for Entire Haying Operation, per Ton, 2003

Region	No. of Reports	Dollars per Ton		Region	No. of Reports	Dollars per Ton
Region	No. of Reports	Range	Average	Region	No. of Reports	Range	Average

WEST	9	18.00-28.00	23.56	EAST	4	20.00-30.00	26.50
CENTRAL	1/			STATE	14	18.00-30.00	24.86

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

ROTARY MOWING AND TREE SHEARING

Go to Table of Contents

The average custom rate for rotary mowing was $7.72 per acre or $43.91 per hour in 2003. In 2002, charges were $7.58 per acre or $52.33 per hour.

Custom Rates for Rotary Mowing, 2003

Dist.	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Hour
Dist.	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.

NW	1/			1/
WC	1/			-
SW	1/			-

NC	1/			-
C	-			1/
SC	3	8.00-8.00	8.00	1/

NE	4	5.25-7.50	6.26	1/
EC	3	8.00-10.00	9.17	4	40.00-65.00	52.50
SE	7	6.00-9.00	7.64	1/

STATE	23	5.00-11.00	7.72	12	20.00-65.00	43.91

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Skid Loader Tree Shearing, 2003

Dist.	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Hour
Dist.	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.

NW	-
WC	-
SW	-

NC	-
C	1/
SC	4	40.00-65.00	52.50

NE	9	30.00-70.00	47.22
EC	1/
SE	5	32.00-80.00	46.40

STATE	21	30.00-80.00	49.00

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

LAND TILLAGE

Go to Table of Contents

Custom rates for tillage operations vary depending on the area of the State, type of soil tillage practice, size of fields and size of equipment. Average charges for regular disking were $6.42 per acre, up 8 cents per acre from the 2002 rate. The average charge per acre for one-way disking was $6.50, 9 cents higher than the 2002 figure of $6.41. The average offset disking charge of $7.02 was up 30 cents an acre from the 2002 rate.

Custom Rates for Disking, 2003

Dist.	Disking			One-Way Disk			Offset Disk
	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.

NW	9	4.25-6.50	5.31	1/			7	4.00-7.00	5.57
WC	1/			-			4	4.75-6.50	5.69
SW	12	4.00-10.00	6.48	-			6	6.00-12.00	8.50

NC	6	5.00-8.00	6.33	-			4	6.00-8.00	6.88
C	15	4.00-8.00	6.07	1/			8	5.00-8.00	5.88
SC	8	5.00-10.00	6.63	-			8	6.00-10.00	7.22

NE	9	6.00-8.00	7.39	-			3	8.50-10.00	9.50
EC	7	5.00-9.00	6.93	1/			3	5.25-8.00	6.83
SE	12	3.00-8.50	6.54	1/			8	6.00-12.00	8.00

STATE	79	3.00-10.00	6.42	5	5.00-9.50	6.50	51	4.00-12.00	7.02

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Go to Table of Contents

In 2003, charges for spiketooth harrowing averaged $5.33, an increase of 48 cents per acre. The average for springtooth harrowing in 2003 is $4.17 per acre.

Custom Rates for Harrowing, 2003

District	Spiketooth Harrow			Springtooth Harrow
	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	1/			-
WC	-			1/
SW	3	5.00-8.00	6.66	-

NC	1/			-
C	3	4.00-6.00	5.00	3	2.00-5.50	3.83
SC	7	2.00-8.00	5.43	1/

NE	1/			-
EC	1/			-
SE	1/			1/

STATE	20	2.00-8.00	5.33	6	2.00-6.00	4.17

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

LAND TILLAGE

Go to Table of Contents

Rates for custom chiseling 4-12 inches deep averaged $8.02 per acre, a 41 cent per acre increase from the 2002 rate. Deep chiseling, over 12 inches deep, averaged $8.94 per acre, a decrease of $1.39 from the 2002 average.

Custom Rates for Chiseling, 2003

District	Chisel (4-12")			Deep Chisel (Over 12")
	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	5	5.50-8.00	6.30	3	8.00-10.00	9.00
WC	1/			1/
SW	8	5.25-12.00	7.69	5	6.50-9.00	7.70

NC	1/			-
C	4	4.00-7.50	5.88	6	5.25-14.00	7.13
SC	5	4.00-15.00	8.05	3	8.00-14.00	10.67

NE	9	8.00-12.00	9.78	1/
EC	5	6.00-9.00	7.60	1/
SE	6	7.00-10.00	8.83	3	12.00-14.00	12.83

STATE	45	4.00-15.00	8.02	25	5.25-14.00	8.94

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Go to Table of Contents

The average moldboard plowing rate increased 53 cents per acre to $9.98, while undercutting operations averaged $5.47 an acre, up 9 cents from 2002.

Custom Rates for Plowing and Undercutting, 2003

District	Moldboard Plow			Undercutter (Large "V" Blade)
	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	3	5.00-8.00	6.33	19	4.00-7.00	5.05
WC	-			31	3.50-6.50	5.03
SW	1/			18	3.50-10.00	5.68

NC	1/			6	4.75-8.00	6.63
C	3	7.00-9.00	8.33	12	5.00-7.00	5.74
SC	6	8.00-13.00	10.17	1/

NE	6	9.00-14.00	11.83	1/
EC	4	8.00-17.00	10.94	-
SE	3	10.00-12.00	10.67	-

STATE	28	5.00-17.00	9.98	88	3.50-12.00	5.47

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

LAND TILLAGE

Go to Table of Contents

The shank cultivator rate was $6.18 and wheel springtooth cultivation averaged $5.27 per acre. The table at the bottom shows historical average custom rate charges for land tillage in Kansas.

Custom Rates for Field Cultivation, 2003

District	Shank Cultivator			Wheel Springtooth Cultivator
	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	5	5.00-6.50	5.45	1/
WC	1/			-
SW	6	5.00-8.00	6.29	1/

NC	8	5.00-8.00	6.59	-
C	16	3.00-7.00	5.23	1/
SC	9	5.75-12.00	7.25	1/

NE	12	5.50-9.00	7.10	1/
EC	12	4.00-9.00	6.19	-
SE	17	2.00-10.00	5.88	3	3.50-6.00	4.83

STATE	87	2.00-12.00	6.18	11	2.00-8.00	5.27

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Go to Table of Contents

Custom Rates for Land Tillage, Historical Averages

Type of Operation	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
	Dollars per Acre
Disking	5.60	5.46	5.53	5.79	5.70	6.02	6.48	6.34	6.42
One-Way Disk	5.58	5.42	5.05	5.60	5.65	6.36	6.21	6.11	6.50
Offset Disk	5.74	6.02	6.17	6.16	6.29	6.76	6.54	6.72	7.02
Spiketooth Harrow	4.21	4.17	4.65	4.73	4.59	4.56	4.80	4.82	5.33
Springtooth Harrow	4.13	4.34	4.79	4.61	4.50	4.93	5.20	4.03	4.17
Chisel 4-12"	6.76	7.21	6.70	6.96	7.00	7.44	7.79	7.61	8.02
Deep Chisel Over 12"	8.24	8.24	8.76	8.61	8.84	9.13	9.54	10.33	8.94
Moldboard Plow	8.99	8.23	8.95	9.10	9.15	9.00	8.98	9.45	9.98
Undercutter	4.91	4.98	4.86	5.02	5.21	5.49	5.38	5.38	5.47
Shank Cultivator	5.17	5.33	5.33	5.42	5.57	5.66	5.92	6.16	6.18
Wheel Springtooth Cultivator	4.55	4.70	4.74	5.08	5.36	5.20	5.36	5.67	5.27

PLANTING (Regular-Till)

Go to Table of Contents

Small grain seeding charges averaged $7.38 per acre, an increase of 25 cents per acre. Grain sorghum charges increased by 42 cents per acre, to $8.55 per acre, in 2003. The average price charged for planting corn was $8.95 per acre, compared to $8.54 per acre in 2002. Soybean seeding charges averaged $9.06 per acre in 2003. This is an increase of 59 cents per acre from last year. The grass seeding rate increased by 84 cents an acre, to $10.61 per acre, in 2003. The price for seeding alfalfa-legumes averaged $10.29 an acre.

Custom Rates for Regular-Till Planting, 2003

District	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre
District	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

	Small Grains			Grain Sorghum
NW	24	4.00-12.00	6.67	6	8.00-9.00	8.58
WC	26	4.00-10.00	6.27	13	6.00-10.00	7.92
SW	28	4.00-11.00	7.08	18	5.25-12.00	8.38

NC	15	5.50-12.00	7.85	15	6.00-12.00	8.23
C	24	5.50-15.00	7.01	16	5.00-10.50	8.28
SC	23	5.00-14.00	7.84	15	5.00-13.00	9.64

NE	12	7.00-13.00	9.83	8	7.00-13.00	10.06
EC	14	5.00-12.00	7.82	6	6.00-12.00	8.92
SE	16	5.00-15.00	8.00	12	5.00-15.00	7.67

STATE	182	4.00-15.00	7.38	109	5.00-15.00	8.55

	Corn			Soybeans
NW	4	4.00-9.00	7.38	4	8.00-10.00	9.25
WC	6	8.00-10.00	8.83	6	6.00-10.00	8.08
SW	13	7.00-12.00	8.58	3	7.00-11.50	9.00

NC	8	7.00-10.00	8.19	7	8.00-12.00	8.93
C	9	9.00-13.00	10.44	11	5.00-13.00	9.36
SC	11	7.00-17.00	10.23	10	7.00-13.00	9.70

NE	16	6.00-3.00	9.44	13	6.00-13.00	9.77
EC	16	5.00-12.00	8.28	15	6.50-12.00	8.97
SE	10	5.00-15.00	8.25	9	5.00-15.00	7.83

STATE	93	4.00-17.00	8.95	78	5.00-15.00	9.06

	Grass Seeding			Alfalfa-legume Seeding
NW	3	9.00-15.00	11.33	3	12.00-15.00	13.00
WC	1/			1/
SW	-			4	7.00-9.00	8.25

NC	3	9.00-10.00	9.67	4	10.00-15.00	11.75
C	1/			10	4.50-13.50	9.35
SC	1/			6	10.00-12.00	10.50

NE	-			1/
EC	4	6.50-15.00	10.63	1/
SE	6	6.00-15.00	12.00	1/

STATE	22	6.00-15.00	10.61	31	4.50-15.00	10.29

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

PLANTING

Go to Table of Contents

Custom Rates for Regular-Till Planting, Kansas Historical Averages

Crops	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
	Dollars per Acre
Small Grains	5.34	5.52	5.71	5.94	6.07	6.22	6.10	6.49	7.13	7.38
Grain Sorghum	6.10	6.40	6.65	6.82	7.08	7.13	6.98	7.72	8.13	8.55
Corn	6.33	6.81	7.19	7.28	7.36	7.53	7.77	8.19	8.54	8.95
Soybeans	6.27	6.69	6.97	7.06	7.38	7.46	8.23	8.17	8.47	9.06
Grass	7.19	7.93	8.50	8.27	7.82	8.37	8.68	8.92	9.77	10.61
Alfalfa-Legume	6.41	7.24	7.29	7.42	7.41	7.76	7.46	8.59	9.83	10.29

Regular-Till Planting

PLANTING (Minimum-Till)

Go to Table of Contents

Rates for minimum-Till planting of small grains averaged $10.36 per acre, up from $10.11 in 2002. Minimum-Till grain sorghum planting averaged $10.19, up 28 cents from last year's rate. Corn planting averaged $10.31 per acre, a 27 cent increase. Soybean planting averaged $10.90, compared to last year's average of $10.46 per acre.

Custom Rates for Minimum-Till or No-Till Planting, 2003

District	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre
District	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average
	Small Grains			Grain Sorghum
NW	17	8.00-15.00	10.29	12	6.00-15.00	9.21
WC	18	5.50-12.00	9.12	16	6.50-11.00	9.17
SW	21	7.00-12.50	9.86	13	5.00-12.00	8.75

NC	19	7.00-16.00	11.13	21	7.00-16.00	10.21
C	22	6.50-15.00	11.02	22	7.00-16.00	10.89
SC	9	8.00-14.00	9.89	12	9.00-14.00	10.92

NE	21	8.00-15.00	11.10	12	10.00-14.00	11.56
EC	13	7.00-14.00	10.27	10	8.50-15.00	11.05
SE	13	6.00-15.00	10.04	9	7.00-15.00	9.94

STATE	153	5.50-16.00	10.36	127	5.00-16.00	10.19
	Corn			Soybeans
NW	16	6.00-15.00	9.25	3	6.00-15.00	10.33
WC	6	8.00-10.00	8.79	5	8.00-10.00	8.95
SW	7	7.50-12.50	10.07	5	8.00-18.00	11.90

NC	10	8.00-16.00	10.45	10	9.00-16.00	11.30
C	10	10.00-15.00	11.70	16	8.00-18.00	12.28
SC	10	9.00-14.00	10.80	6	9.00-13.00	10.67

NE	24	8.00-14.00	11.28	26	8.00-14.00	11.11
EC	14	6.00-16.00	10.11	19	6.00-15.00	10.29
SE	10	7.00-15.00	8.95	12	7.00-15.00	9.88

STATE	107	6.00-16.00	10.31	102	6.00-18.00	10.90

Go to Table of Contents

Custom Rates for Minimum-Till or No-Till Plantings,

Historical Averages

Crops	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
	Dollars per Acre

Small Grains	8.31	9.26	8.88	8.91	9.76	9.77	9.89	10.11	10.36
Grain Sorghum	7.70	8.06	8.12	8.70	8.85	9.16	9.56	9.91	10.19
Corn	8.39	8.44	8.46	8.65	8.96	9.40	10.00	10.04	10.31
Soybeans	8.61	8.87	8.88	9.29	9.61	9.96	10.50	10.46	10.90

CHEMICAL APPLICATIONS

Go to Table of Contents

The custom rates for chemical applications presented here include the cost of machine, power, and operator, but the cost of the chemicals is excluded. Rates charged for crop cultivation with fertilizer application averaged $6.64 per acre, while cultivation without fertilizer application averaged $5.95. This compares with $6.19 and $6.01 per acre, respectively, in 2002.

Custom Rates for Row Crop Cultivation, 2003

Region	With Fertilizer			Without Fertilizer
	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

WEST	9	5.40-10.00	7.07	12	5.00-9.00	6.54
CENTRAL	6	3.50-13.00	5.99	7	4.20-7.00	5.45
EAST	-			4	4.00-6.00	5.06
STATE	15	3.50-13.00	6.64	23	4.00-9.00	5.95

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Go to Table of Contents

Dry fertilizer applications averaged $3.68 per acre, 10 cents more than in 2002. Liquid fertilizer was applied for an average charge of $3.78 per acre, up 6 cents from last year.

Custom Rates for Fertilizer Application, 2003

District	Dry Fertilizer			Liquid Fertilizer
	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	18	3.00-4.25	3.72	28	2.50-5.00	3.79
WC	12	3.00-4.00	3.60	21	3.00-6.00	3.85
SW	19	3.00-6.00	3.67	26	3.00-5.00	3.98

NC	37	2.50-4.25	3.78	40	3.00-4.25	3.77
C	41	2.50-4.50	3.55	50	2.50-6.50	3.52
SC	51	2.00-5.00	3.42	49	2.50-6.00	3.43

NE	48	2.60-5.00	4.04	47	3.25-5.00	4.30
EC	29	3.00-5.70	4.00	25	2.00-5.70	4.11
SE	44	2.00-4.50	3.42	38	2.50-4.50	3.58

STATE	299	2.00-5.70	3.68	324	2.00-6.50	3.78

CHEMICAL APPLICATIONS

Go to Table of Contents

Custom chemical applicators charged an average of $6.18 per acre to apply anhydrous ammonia, 28 cents more than the 2002 average.

Custom Rates for Application of

Anhydrous Ammonia, 2003

District	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre
District	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	6	4.00-10.00	6.50
WC	7	3.00-7.50	5.14
SW	10	4.00-8.00	6.18

NC	4	7.00-8.00	7.38
C	11	3.50-9.00	6.75
SC	9	2.50-7.00	4.44

NE	17	2.00-11.00	6.94
EC	10	3.00-10.50	6.28
SE	3	3.50-7.00	4.83

STATE	77	2.00-11.00	6.18

Go to Table of Contents

The average cost for aerial application of herbicide was $4.30 per acre, down 22 cents from 2002. When herbicides were applied with a ground rig, the average cost was $3.85, 4 cents above 2002.

Custom Rates for Herbicide Application, 2003

District	Aerial			Ground Rig
	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	9	3.50-5.50	4.47	26	3.00-4.50	3.79
WC	6	3.00-7.30	4.47	29	3.25-4.00	3.63
SW	9	2.75-5.50	4.18	33	3.00-5.00	3.75

NC	11	3.00-6.25	4.05	43	3.00-4.75	3.83
C	8	3.25-5.50	4.08	47	2.00-4.50	3.56
SC	10	3.25-6.00	4.45	46	2.50-6.25	3.50

NE	3	3.50-4.50	4.08	52	2.50-6.00	4.43
EC	3	3.50-5.00	4.42	35	3.25-5.95	4.37
SE	12	3.10-7.50	4.47	35	2.50-4.50	3.71

STATE	71	2.75-7.50	4.30	346	2.00-6.25	3.85

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State total.

CHEMICAL APPLICATIONS

Go to Table of Contents

The average cost for aerial application of insecticide was $4.83 per acre, up 34 cents from last year. When insecticides were applied with a ground rig, the average cost was $3.92 per acre, up 2 cents from the 2002 rate.

Custom Rates for Insecticide Application, 2003

District	Aerial			Ground Rig
	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Acre
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average

NW	4	4.25-6.00	4.94	13	3.50-4.50	4.08
WC	3	3.25-4.00	3.75	15	3.50-3.85	3.61
SW	8	3.00-12.00	5.09	15	3.50-5.00	3.95

NC	10	4.00-12.00	5.80	26	3.00-4.30	3.80
C	6	3.00-5.00	3.92	28	2.00-4.75	3.58
SC	4	3.50-4.75	4.25	24	2.75-4.50	3.52

NE	1/			33	3.50-6.00	4.45
EC	4	4.00-6.00	4.90	14	4.00-6.00	4.65
SE	4	3.50-6.50	4.63	23	2.50-4.50	3.77

STATE	45	3.00-12.00	4.83	191	2.00-6.00	3.92

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State total.

Go to Table of Contents

Custom Rates for Chemical Application,

Historical Averages

Type of Operation or Application	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
	Dollars per Acre

Cultivation with Fertilizer	6.08	5.78	5.91	6.43	5.61	6.48	6.77	6.19	6.64

Cultivation without Fertilizer	5.31	5.74	5.96	6.11	5.88	5.75	6.25	6.01	5.95

Dry Fertilizer	2.93	3.02	3.06	3.12	3.23	3.40	3.53	3.58	3.68

Liquid Fertilizer	3.09	3.14	3.19	3.29	3.33	3.50	3.57	3.72	3.78

Anhydrous Ammonia	5.09	5.56	5.24	5.59	5.28	5.67	5.61	5.90	6.18

Herbicide
Aerial	3.89	4.20	3.30	4.11	4.15	4.20	4.39	4.52	4.30
Ground Rig	3.25	3.32	3.28	3.39	3.48	3.59	3.72	3.81	3.85

Insecticide
Aerial	3.81	4.20	3.91	4.11	4.16	4.19	4.42	4.49	4.83
Ground Rig	3.22	3.34	3.30	3.41	3.54	3.66	3.77	3.90	3.92

FEED PREPARATION

Go to Table of Contents

Rates for custom feed preparations are those generally charged by grain elevators and feed mills. Rates charged in 2003 are very close to those reported in 2002. Reports averaged 35 cents per cwt. for grinding grain, 33 cents per cwt. for rolling grain, 62 cents per cwt. for grinding hay, 26 cents per cwt. for mixing, 52 cents per cwt. for rolling and mixing, and 57 cents per cwt. for grinding and mixing.

Custom Rates for Feed Preparation, 2003

District	Grinding Grain			Rolling Grain			Grinding Hay
	No. of Rpts.	Cents per Cwt.		No. of Rpts.	Cents per Cwt.		No. of Rpts.	Cents per Cwt.
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.

NW	1/			6	25-35	31	-
WC	1/			5	30-45	34	-
SW	4	30-40	34	5	30-40	32	1/

NC	9	25-55	40	15	25-55	37	-
C	7	25-40	33	11	20-40	29	1/
SC	11	15-50	34	14	15-35	31	5	30-100	53

NE	1/			3	25-30	28	1/
EC	4	30-50	40	8	30-50	38	-
SE	10	25-45	37	11	26-40	32	-

STATE	51	11-55	35	78	15-55	33	10	25-110	62

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

District	Mixing			Rolling and Mixing			Grinding and Mixing
	No. of Rpts.	Cents per Cwt.		No. of Rpts.	Cents per Cwt.		No. of Rpts.	Cents per Cwt.
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.

NW	3	15-35	25	1/			1/
WC	5	25-40	30	5	40-85	60	-
SW	5	20-40	30	5	50-70	62	4	60-70	66

NC	8	10-40	26	13	25-76	48	8	25-76	43
C	10	15-35	22	11	25-70	49	7	50-100	61
SC	14	15-55	26	8	40-60	54	4	40-70	55

NE	3	10-20	15	4	22-70	46	4	25-55	44
EC	8	15-65	37	5	50-80	62	7	50-100	76
SE	10	10-30	22	10	26-75	54	5	50-70	61

STATE	66	10-65	26	63	22-85	52	40	25-100	57

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

FEED PREPARATION

Go to Table of Contents

Pelleting feed operations averaged 84 cents per cwt., 8 cents higher than in 2002. The charge for grinding, mixing, and pelleting operations combined was an average of 114 cents per cwt., 5 cents lower than in 2002. Sacking operations, excluding the cost of sacks, averaged 116 cents per cwt., 21 cents higher than last year.

Custom Rates for Feed Preparation, 2003

District	Pelleting Only			Grinding, Mixing and Pelleting			Sacking
	No. of Rpts.	Cents per Cwt.		No. of Rpts.	Cents per Cwt.		No. of Rpts.	Cents per Cwt.
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.	No. of Rpts.	Range	Avg.

NW	-			-			1/
WC	-			-			3	75-160	128
SW	1/			1/			4	40-130	85

NC	-			-			9	100-200	158
C	1/			1/			10	60-250	124
SC	5	50-125	90	3	30-115	78	13	30-200	94

NE	-			-			3	125-240	178
EC	-			-			8	15-210	139
SE	1/			1/			13	24-150	88

STATE	9	50-125	84	6	30-170	114	65	15-250	116

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Go to Table of Contents

Custom Rates for Feed Preparation,

Historical Averages

Type of Preparation	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
	Cents per Cwt.

Grinding Grain	30	29	29	33	31	35	34	36	35
Rolling Grain	28	28	28	30	29	30	31	33	33
Grinding Hay	49	75	-	56	-	-	66	74	62
Mixing	20	21	22	22	22	23	23	26	26
Rolling and Mixing	40	44	42	44	45	42	49	51	52
Grinding and Mixing	45	46	44	49	46	51	53	53	57
Pelleting	69	72	67	77	73	82	70	76	84
Grinding, Mixing,
and Pelleting	108	118	95	99	122	126	118	119	114
Sacking
(excluding sacks)	69	72	73	76	88	93	91	95	116

FEED DELIVERY

Go to Table of Contents

There are many different methods of charging for bulk feed deliveries. Rates for four of the most commonly reported methods are presented below. Method 1 has a charge per load plus a charge per mile. Other types of charges were reported but could not be summarized for this report. Many operators also charge extra for miles beyond a specified limit. For all methods, the average extra charge was $1.18 per mile after 11 miles.

Custom Rates for Feed Delivery, 2003

District	Method 1 (Charge per Load plus Mileage)					Method 2 (Charge per Mile)			Method 3 (Charge per Ton)			Method 4 (Charge per Load)			Extra Charge (All Methods)
District	No. of Reports	Dollars per Load	+	Dollars per Mile	Avg. Load (Tons)	No. of Reports	Dollars per Mile	Avg. Load (Tons)	No. of Reports	Dollars per Ton	Avg. Load (Tons)	No. of Reports	Dollars per Load	Avg. Load (Tons)	No. of Reports	Maxim. Miles	Extra Charge $ per Mile

NW	-					1/			1/			1/			-
WC	4	21.75		1.46	7.3	4	1.90	8.5	-			1/			1/
SW	1/					-			-			1/			1/

NC	7	14.43		1.08	10.0	1/			1/			3	16.50	7.7	1/
C	9	19.33		2.73	9.3	3	2.08	8.0	-			4	21.25	8.5	1/
SC	9	13.33		1.36	9.2	1/			1/			1/			3	10.00	1.32

NE	1/					1/			-			3	20.00	8.3	1/
EC	4	18.00		1.09	5.3	-			1/			4	31.25	6.0	1/
SE	1/					6	1.68	9.0	6	4.18	6.7	6	22.83	8.8	4	18.75	1.13

STATE	38	17.61		1.64	8.7	20	1.75	8.3	11	5.48	6.4	25	21.96	8.1	14	11.00	1.18

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

MACHINERY RENTAL

Go to Table of Contents

Rental costs listed below do not include the cost of fuel or labor for self-propelled equipment and tractors. Fertilizer applicators were the most commonly reported rental items, followed by tractors, combines, and planting equipment. Many items, such as cultivators, chisels, and mower/conditioners were reported but had too few reports to summarize.

Rental charges are similar to those reported in recent years. Average rental costs for most items show only small increases or decreases. Some of the variation may be due to the small numbers of reports for some rental items.

Machine Rental Rates, 2003

Machine or Tool	Method of Charge	No. of Reports	Range	Average

Combine	$/Hour	30	20.30-125.00	88.72

Corn Head	$/Acre	5	5.00-8.00	7.20

No-Till Drill	$/Acre	16	5.00-12.50	7.88
Alfalfa/Grass Drill	$/Acre	3	5.50-8.00	6.50
Field Cultivator	$/Acre	5	1.75-5.50	3.65

Fertilizer Applicators
Dry	$/Ton	25	4.00-15.00	8.98
Dry	$/Acre	18	1.00-15.00	2.41
Anhydrous	$/Ton	6	4.00-25.00	11.00
Anhydrous	$/Acre	15	1.00-3.00	1.78
Dual	$/Acre	6	2.00-3.50	2.69

Hay Equipment
Baler, Large Bales	$/Bale	10	3.50-9.00	5.05
Tub Grinder	$/Hour	16	36.00-183.00	108.10
Swather	$/Hour	6	4.00-15.00	8.92

Tractor
50-100 HP	$/Hour	3	10.00-20.00	14.00
101-150 HP	$/Hour	3	15.00-18.20	17.07
151-200 HP	$/Hour	10	10.00-45.00	23.50
201+ HP	$/Hour	3	25.00-40.00	35.00
Size Not Specified	$/Hour	22	10.00-100.00	36.23

KAT (Rubber Track)	$/Hour	3	39.50-50.00	46.50

FENCE BUILDING

Go to Table of Contents

Rates for fence building listed below were reported on the Bluestem Pasture Survey completed in April of 2003. Producers in the 14 Flint Hills counties were surveyed and asked to provide current fence building costs. The reported rates varied considerably due to the difference in equipment and terrain. The rate charged for building a five-wire, all-steel post fence, excluding materials, averaged $6.45 per rod. The rate including materials averaged $8.90 per rod. Average hourly rates charged for fence building are $22.50 per hour with equipment and $15.10 per hour without equipment.

Custom Rates for Fence Building, per Rod 1/, 2003

Fence Type	Steel Posts Only
	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Rod
	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average
	Excluding Materials
Four Wire	5	5.00-5.75	5.15
Five Wire	32	1.50-12.00	6.45
	Including Materials

Four Wire	2/
Five Wire	18	6.25-12.00	8.90

1/ Additional charges for rough and rocky terrain ranged from $1.00-$2.00 per rod and averaged $1.29 per rod. 1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Custom Fence Builders	No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Hour		Average Number of Persons
Custom Fence Builders	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	Average Number of Persons

With Equipment	28	4.50-40.00	22.50	1.7
Without Equipment	11	10.00-30.00	15.10	1.6

TERRACING AND DOZING

Go to Table of Contents

Building terraces averaged 57 cents per foot, an increase of 3 cents from 2002. The average cost for general dozer work was $85.39 per hour, compared to $83.46 last year.

Custom Rates for Terracing and Dozing, 2003

District	No. of Rpts.	Cents per Foot		No. of Rpts.	Dollars per Hour
District	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average	No. of Rpts.	Range	Average
	Terracing			Dozing

NW	1/			4	60-100	72.50
WC	-			-
SW	1/			1/

NC	1/			7	70-100	83.57
C	4	60-80	66	6	65-125	89.17
SC	1/			6	75-100	86.67

NE	5	45-70	55	13	60-120	86.91
EC	1/			3	60-75	66.67
SE	1/			10	70-110	83.50

STATE	18	40-80	57	50	60-175	85.39

1/ Insufficient reports; included in State totals.

Year	Dollars Per Acre	Extra Charge for High Yield
Year	Dollars Per Acre	¢ per Bushel	Above Bushels
1988	17.31	12.1	24
1989	17.58	12.3	26
1990	17.92	13.0	25
1991	18.07	12.1	22
1992	18.63	12.5	22
1993	17.96	12.5	23
1994	18.15	12.2	25
1995	17.65	12.2	25
1996	18.54	12.7	24
1997	18.68	12.4	26
1998	18.85	12.8	27
1999	18.69	13.0	25
2000	19.15	12.5	25
2001	19.48	12.7	24
2002	19.29	13.4	28
2003	19.35	13.3	26

Year	Dollars per Acre	Extra Charges for High Yield
Year	Dollars per Acre	¢ per Bushel	Above Bushels
1993	16.06	12.0	27
1994	16.55	11.3	37
1995	16.52	2/	2/
1996	17.10	11.0	30
1997	17.69	11.6	18
1998	16.94	11.9	37
1999	18.35	12.0	34
2000	16.33	12.7	30
2001	17.93	13.8	26
2002	17.80	13.1	21
2003	18.90	13.7	20