These tables estimate the cost and return of a greenhouse tomato farm in Louisiana. Due to the detailed nature of these cost computations, a computerized budget generator (Mississippi State Budget Generator, or MSBG, version 6.0) program was utilized. MSBG provides a standard format for crop and livestock budgets; its computational procedures are widely accepted; and the procedure can be updated easily for budgeting, or for considering alternative farm situations. The MSBG program specifies a system of computational procedures for calculating costs and returns.
These budgets provide cost estimates based on a set of assumptions about farm and machinery size, production practices, performance rates, and productive inputs used. Materials, inputs and scheduling in tables 37A and 38A reflect the average production situation recommended in Louisiana. Users of the budgets might find that their farm situation differs from these assumptions. It is expected that grower will pencil in and subtract inputs in the YOUR FARM column of tables 37B and 38B as is correct for their farming enterprise in order to have a more accurate, customized production budget.
Use the input values from tables 37A and 38A for values to adjust the YOUR FARM columns in 37B and 38B and retotal for a personalized greenhouse tomato Total Specified Expenses(TSE). For an adjusted Net Returns per Acer, add or subtract the difference in the TSE to your line/cell in table 38C.