Break Even Yield Calculator

Work out break even yield instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Break Even Yield Calculator

Break-even yield is the tonnage that just covers total cost after crediting by-product income: (cost - by-product income) / price. The mirror figure, break-even price, is the same numerator divided by expected yield. The gap between expected and break-even yield is the buffer against a poor season.

Formulas

Break-even yield

Break-even yield = (total cost - by-product income) / price per tonne

Break-even price

Break-even price = (total cost - by-product income) / expected yield

Worked example

With the default values below, Break Even Yield Calculator returns Break-Even Yield of 2.167. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Total Cost Per Hectareminimum 0: 55,000
Expected Priceminimum 0.01 per tonne: 24,000 per tonne
By-Product Income Per Hectareminimum 0: 3,000
Expected Yieldminimum 0.01 t/ha: 3 t/ha

Results

Break-Even Yield: 2.167
Break-Even Price: $17,333.33
Safety Margin On Yield: 27.78%
Yield Above Break-Even: 0.833

Step by step

1Values used
2Break-even yield
3Break-even price
4Break-Even Yield= 2.167
5Break-Even Price= 17,333.33
6Safety Margin On Yield= 27.78
7Yield Above Break-Even= 0.833

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What safety margin is comfortable?

A break-even yield 30-40% below your realistic expectation gives room for one bad season. If break-even sits close to your average yield, the enterprise is fragile.

Should fixed costs be in the total?

For a go/no-go decision on planting, use variable costs only. For judging whether the whole enterprise is viable, include fixed costs and depreciation.