Updated March, 2008  
File A1-85





Don Hofstrand

Tracking the Profitability of Corn Production

Don Hofstrand, extension value-added agriculture specialist, co-director Ag Marketing Resource Center, 641-423-0844, dhof@iastate.edu



decision aid in Excel formatView the monthly profitability and underlying assumptions.

The profitability of producing corn varies greatly from year to year and within years. To track this variability we have developed typical corn farming enterprises that represent farms in central and northern Iowa. We track the monthly profitability of corn production by comparing the break-even cost of production to the monthly corn selling price. The analysis shows the per bushel profit (loss) potential each month.

The cost of corn production varies greatly depending on the land ownership arrangement. So, the monthly profitability is computed under three land ownership scenarios.

The analysis is updated monthly to show the current profitability.