2016 Nebraska Farm Custom Rates Statewide Survey Summary: Livestock and Forage Operations

The 2016 Nebraska Custom Rates Survey contains rates relevant to cattle producers.  Photo courtesy of Troy Walz.
The 2016 Nebraska Custom Rates Survey contains rates relevant to cattle producers. Photo courtesy of Troy Walz.

By Jim Jansen, Nebraska Extension Educator and Roger Wilson, UNL Department of Ag Economics

Across the state of Nebraska, many agricultural producers hire custom operators to perform machinery services for their farms and ranches. The 2016 Nebraska Custom Rates Survey summarizes the current rates charged for specific machinery operations. Prices paid for these services become more critical as profit margins tighten due to lower commodity prices.

The survey divides the custom operations performed in Nebraska into two sections. Part I includes spring and summer operations. Part II includes information about fall and miscellaneous operations. Custom rates reported include charges for the use of necessary equipment, fuel, labor, and supplies such as baling wire or twine provided by the custom operator. Seed, fertilizer, and chemical costs are not included.

Operations included as part of the 2016 Nebraska Custom Rates Survey relevant to cattle producers include seeding forages, cutting hay, baling, combining high moisture corn, chopping silage, and hauling livestock. These popular operations may be found in the “2016 Nebraska Farm Custom Rates Statewide Survey Summary-Livestock and Forage Operations” online at http://go.unl.edu/5xqc

Full summaries from this survey, including district as well as state data, are published as a University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Circular (EC) 823 for Part I and EC 826 for Part II. These publications may be found online at http://farm.unl.edu/customrates

The information presented in these publications should be used only as a guide. Rates may change from year to year due to expense differences and local market forces.


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