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Corn break-even price and yield calculator

Two numbers decide most marketing decisions: the price you need at the yield you expect, and the yield you need at the price you can get. This calculator gives you both from one cost per acre.

Find your break-even

Total cost per acre ($) Expected yield (bu/acre) Expected cash price ($/bu) Basis, haul & drying deduction ($/bu) Other income per acre ($) optional Acres

Recalculate

The two formulas

break-even price = (cost per acre − other income per acre) ÷ yield
break-even yield = (cost per acre − other income per acre) ÷ net price

In the example, $810 an acre at 185 bushels needs $4.38 net, or about $4.73 on the board once the 35¢ deduction is added back. At a $4.40 cash price the net is $4.05, so the field needs 200 bushels to break even. At 185, it loses about $61 an acre, or around $30,000 across 500 acres. That's the kind of thing you want to know in March, not after harvest.

Using it for marketing

• Set price targets above break-even. Many growers place sell orders at break-even plus a margin and sell in pieces as the market reaches each target.
• Use a conservative yield. Your 5-year average, or your crop insurance APH yield, is a more honest number than your best year.
• Recalculate when costs change. A fertilizer price jump or a second herbicide pass changes the break-even, and the plan you made in January may not hold anymore.

Tracking several of these at once? The free farm bill due-date tracker keeps them in date order.

Getting the cost per acre right

A break-even is only as good as the cost per acre behind it. Most break-evens that turn out wrong left out costs that don't show up on the input invoice: equipment payments, land rent, crop insurance, interest on the operating line, and what you pay yourself to live on. The cost per acre calculator walks through each line and spreads the whole-farm costs across your acres.

Questions people ask

What is a break-even price for corn?

It's the price per bushel at which the crop exactly covers its costs: total cost per acre divided by yield per acre. At $810 an acre and 185 bushels, break-even is about $4.38 a bushel, net of basis and hauling.

Should I include land rent and equipment payments?

For the full break-even, yes. If you leave out rent, machinery, insurance and your own living draw, you get an operating break-even, which only tells you whether the crop covers the cash you put into it this year. Both are worth knowing, so run it each way.

What's the difference between the net and board price?

The net price is what actually lands in your account after basis, hauling, drying and any shrink. The calculator works from the net price, then adds your deduction back to show the board or cash price you'd need to see quoted.

What goes in other income per acre?

Anything per acre the crop brings in besides grain sales: crop insurance indemnities you expect, government program payments, or residue sold off the field. It lowers your break-even, but only count money you're fairly sure of.

Does this work for soybeans or wheat?

Yes. The math is the same for any crop sold by the bushel. For hay, use tons per acre and dollars per ton.

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Not financial advice. These calculators give estimates from the numbers you enter. Your lender's terms, fees, day-count method and tax situation can change the result. Check with your lender or advisor before you act. Full disclaimer.