Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

Caribbea Agricultural Science

n Cost Analysis Layers
Examinat Production

ion 2017

Variety: Clemson Spineless

Candidate name: Eion John Jotis

Centre Number: 090037
Candidate Number: 0900370564
School: New Amsterdam Multilateral School
Territory: The Cooperative Republic of Guyana

Table of Contents

Content Page

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

Acknowledgement 3

(I) Introduction

Description of Activities 4-11

Materials and equipment 12-14

Sketch of layout of plot 15

Schedule of operations 16

(II) Complete Budget

Projected income, expenditure and surplus 17

Actual income, expenditure and surplus 18

(III) Analysis
Comparison of projected and actual expenditure, 19-21
Income and surplus

General Comments 22

Conclusion 23

Recommendations 24

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

Acknowledgement

Completing this project was not an easy task which could have been achieved
independently. As such, it is only fair that the Researcher thank all those who
would have guided and in any way or form helped him in completing this project.

First of all, gratitude must be extended to the Researchers God for providing
him with the gifts of wisdom and understanding and health and strength necessary
for completing this project.

Second of all, gratitude is extended to the Researchers teacher and friends who
would have been very supportive and willing to assist him in for example
understanding a new technique or guiding him in the project write- up.

Lastly, the Researcher would of course like to thank his parents who would
have not only been there in times when giving up seemed like the only answer but
also, in times when a little word of advice was all that was needed.

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

Introduction

Name of Project: Crop Production Cost Analysis

Name of Crop: Ochro

Type of Crop: Flower Vegetable

Botanical Name: Abelmoshus Esculentus

Family: Malvaceae

Variety: (Clemson Spineless)

Location: New Amsterdam Multilateral School Garden Plot

Duration: Date Started:

Date Completed:

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

Description of Activities

Planning

Since the class was divided into groups based on the crop being produced, the
students within the Ochro group sat down and made plans and arrangements on
how to achieve the production. Prior to the discussion of course, the Researchers
did intensive research on the crop being produced so as to gain knowledge about
the techniques and resources necessary for achieving the production. Within the
discussion, the following were discussed; the necessary equipment, land
preparation technique including the bed size, drainage size and method of
preparing the soil, watering, fertilizer application, weed and pest control,
harvesting, post harvesting and marketing. Accompanied with that was a budget
which helped to monitor expenses and gain maximum profit.

Students during the planning process.

Land Preparation

To commence land preparation, the equipment was gathered and duties were sorted
out. During this step, firstly, weeds and bushes were cut down and raked up to a
point where soil was the only thing that could be seen on the ground. Any
remaining plant material was removed by the root to prevent regrowth during the
production. All plant material that was cut down was of course put in a heap to
compost so as later to be used as manure. The next step once the land was clear
was to measure out and form beds. This was done using a fork to uplift the soil and

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

a tape measure to measure out the 39 cambered bed which was decided upon.
After beds were formed adequate drainage was dug out to ensure that excess water
runs off of the bed and prevents flooding as this could lead to major damage of
crops especially with in the seedling stage. The next step was of course to harrow
and plough the bed although most of this would have already been done during bed
formation. Nevertheless, the soil was dug out some more and large clods of soil
were broken down to ensure aeration as well as drainage.

Land Clearing Ploughing of the land

Harrowing of bed

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

Seedling Production

12-18 hours prior to the preparation of the land, the Ochro seeds were soaked in
water to ensure that their hard seed coat was broken and ready for planting. Holes
were dug in the beds no more than 1.5- 2cm deep and, seeds were placed in rows
which were about 30cm apart. Overall, seeds were placed in an array of 1 by 4.
This meant that 1 seed was planted across the bed in each of the four rows. At the
point at which the seeds were planted, sticks were placed as an indication and for
support against heavy winds during the seedling stage (staking was done). As soon
as the seeds were planted, the beds were watered by quickly moving the watering
can from left to right over so as to reduce the water pressure against the bed.

1 seed

By 4 seeds

Arrangement of seeds

Seeds being soaked prior to planting Care being given to seedlings

Watering

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

The seeds were watered from when they were planted and the plants themselves
were watered from seedling stage to harvesting. The pants were watered two times
a day, every day unless the rain fell, in which case watering the plants would give
excess water to the roots, which was both risky and unnecessary. During seedling
stage and when the seeds were planted, special care was taken when watering. As
mentioned before, the watering can was moved in a swift motion to prevent high
water pressure on the beds which could wash off or erode the soil covering causing
the seeds to move from their original position.

Seedlings being watered

Weed control

Weed control was done using the cultural and traditional methods such as hoeing,
and hand weeding. No herbicide was used as the researcher tried to maintain the
garden as chemical free as possible. Whenever small nut grasses or other weeds
were spot growing, they were plucked immediately by hand or uprooted with the
aid of a knife. The weeds were put in a pile to wilt and die so as to later be used in
mulching if it was ever necessary.

Fertilizer application

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

Organic fertilizer such as cow dung and litter from the chicken pen were applied to
soil mainly because chemicals were avoided as much as possible. This was done
during ploughing where the soil was turned up and mixed with the litter and dung
as thoroughly as possible. This increases soil fertility and also helps the soil which
in this case is clay to retain water better for the dry spells.

Pest and Disease Control

Because alternative methods of pest and disease control such as integrated pest
management could usually only be practiced in confined gardens such as in grow
boxes, the researcher had to resort to chemicals, only in this case to control pest
and diseases. As such Sevin powder was used. 4 grams of this was applied to every
2 litres of water, mixed thoroughly and applied using a watering can onto the bed
itself.

Harvesting

The first harvest came in on the second month or eight week after the maturity of
the seedling. The pods were picked at that point when they were bright green in
colour as the pods get lighter in colour as they move pass maturity. Usually, the
pods should be picked when they reach a length of 7.5 to about 12 cm but because
the market has a high demand for short Ochro, they were picked as soon as they
approached a small length and were mature enough for market consumption. The
Ochro was harvested with a sharp knife leaving onto the pod about 1cm length of
stem with a smooth cut at the end. These were then placed in large bowls and
buckets and transported to a cool place afterwards to prevent much heat absorption
which could cause spoilage of the Ochro since it is a very perishable crop.

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

A producing Ochro plant Sample of Ochro harvested

Post harvesting Activities

Because Ochro is a very perishable crop, post harvesting focusses on maintaining,

preserving and extending the life of the pod so that it has a good appearance, is
palatable and is healthy and nutritious for market consumption. During post
harvesting, grading needs to be done in order to separate the marketable Ochro
from the non-marketable Ochro. By doing this, the chance of an unsuitable Ochro
for storage would less likely be found and such it reduces the chances of selling a
spoiled Ochro. As soon as harvesting finishes, the Ochro should be refrigerated to
preserve its cool temperature and prevent heat absorption. Also packaging should
be done with care to ensure that the Ochro is well ventilated and does not break or
obtain damage.

Marketing

Marketing was done as soon as the produce was harvested and packaged so as to
prevent spoilage as much as possible. Based on the market research and advice
given, the Ochro was placed at a price of $180 per kilogram so as to gain as much
profit possible. The remaining Ochro that wasnt sold was put to cool and was
taken care of using post harvesting guidelines. Although the guidelines were
administered correctly, some produce was still lost as a result, declining profit by a
slight amount.

Below is the record from marketing the Ochro

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

Beds Yield(kg) Price

1 5 $ 900.00
2 7 $ 1,260.00
3 6.5 $ 1,180.00
4 4.6 $ 840.00
5 4.4 $ 800.00
6 5.3 $ 940.00
7 5.6 $ 1,000.00
8 6 $ 1,080.00
9 5.6 $ 1,000.00
10 6 $ 1,080.00
Average yield 5.6
Total yield 56
Total income $ 10,080.00

Materials and Equipment

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

Fork- Used for land preparation,

mainly ploughing and harrowing of
Rake- used for gathering grass during
the soil.
land preparation or clearing.

Hoe- Mainly used in the harrowing or

Cutlass- Used for clearing land during
breaking up of the soil.
land preparation and clearing. Also
used for harrowing or breaking up the
soil into smaller pieces.

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

Shovel- Soil was scooped up with the Watering can- This was used for
shovel in order to construct the beds. watering the plants

Knife- Used for cutting the pods off Seeds- used as the method of growing
the plant. the plant. This germinates and grows
into the Ochro plant.

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

Bowl- used for collecting produce

from plant.

Water- This is necessary for the plant

in order to carry out photosynthesis
and to germinate.

Manure- Used for ensuring soil

fertility and promoting plant growth.

Sevin Powder- Used for warding off

and destroying pests and insects of
Ochro.

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

Complete Budget

Projected Income and Expenditure

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

Projected Income

Expected price per kg of Ochro $150

Expected number of beds 10
Each bed expected to yield 5kg 5*10=50kg
Expected weight of Ochro 50kg
Total Projected Income $150*50
=$7500

Projected Expenditure

Seeds $500
Fertilizer (pen manure) $800
Pesticide (sevin powder) $300
Transportation $200
Total Projected Expenditure $1800

Projected Surplus

Surplus= income- expenditure

=$7,500-$1800

=$5,700

Actual Income and Expenditure

Actual Income

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Eion John Jotis 0900370564 Cost Analysis Crop Production 2017

Unit Price per kg of Ochro $180

Number of beds 10
One bed yielded 5.6kg on average 5.6kg*10=56 kg
Actual weight of Ochro 56kg
Total Income $180*56kg
=$10,080

Actual Expenditure

Seeds $300
Fertilizers (pen manure) $0
Pesticide (sevin powder) $300
Transportation $200
Total Expenditure $800

Actual Surplus

Surplus = Income- Expenditure

= $10,080- $800

= $9,280

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 Analysis

Comparison of Projected and Actual Income

$12,000.00

$10,000.00
$10,080.00

$8,000.00
$7,500.00

$6,000.00

$4,000.00

$2,000.00

$-
Projected Income Actual Income
 Figure 1 showing the comparison of projected and actual income

The Column graph above is one that presents the comparison between projected
and actual income of the project. As shown on the graph, projected income was
calculated to be $7,500 whiles the actual income was calculated to be $10,080.
This shows mainly, a 34.4% increase in income over what was projected. To
account for this is the fact that there was a higher yield than expected and also
because of the demand of Ochro at that time. This demand caused a rise in the
price per kg from $150 to $180, thereby, for every kg being sold, 20% more was
earned than that of what was expected.
Comparison of projected and actual Expenditure

$800.00
Projected Expenditure
Actual Expenditure

$1,800.00
 Figure 2 showing the comparison of projected and actual expenditure

The Pie chart above is one that shows the comparison of projected and actual
expenditure of the project. From the graph it could be seen that the projected
expenditure was calculated to be $1800, whiles the actual expenditure was
calculated to be $800, showing a 55.6% decrease or cut in expenses. This depicts a
scenario of good budget management, where actual expenditure was kept below
what was expected. The main reasons for this were the decision to go out in the
environment collecting organic manure instead of buying, hence the reason for the
$0 pricing for manure. That along with small cut in the price of the seeds, and the
donation of seeds by group members all led to a very small expenditure.
 Comparison of Projected and Actual Surplus

Actual surplus $9,280

Projected surplus $5,700

$- $2,000 $4,000 $6,000 $8,000 $10,000

 Figure 3 showing the comparison between projected and actual surplus

The Bar graph above presents a comparison between projected and actual surplus
of this crop production project. The projected surplus was calculated to be $5,700
whiles the actual surplus was calculated to be $9,280, showing a 62.8% increase.
The reason behind this is of course is the higher income and smaller expenditure
over what was expected. Since surplus is calculated by subtracting expenditure
from income, the actual surplus would obviously be higher since a very small
amount compared to projected is subtracting a very large amount compared to
projected.

General Comments

Overall, Ochro production was found to be a very profitable production when

done right. Just like most crops, they do not require the soil to be treated any
special way, as such; preparing the land was fairly easy. Luckily also, Ochro is a
very drought tolerant crop, meaning that it could have easily withstood not being
watered two times every day. Because of this reason, much attention was not
required for the production during its growing period. The harvesting and post
harvesting period however required much attention since Ochro is very perishable.
The best method found to deal with this was to deliver the produce to market as
fast as possible. The hardest challenge faced was maintaining the Ochro in a
condition for market consumption. Because of the intensely hot climate,
maintaining the Ochro was not easy and, in fact it was noted that most produce was
lossed during this post harvesting phase. Aside from this challenge, the insecure
farm environment allowed for animals such as goats to feed on produce resulting in
a smaller yield than should have been. Also during the course of production, there
were heavy showers which would have stagnated growth for about one week,
thereby harvesting was pushed forward. Aside from these few challenges however,
the production seemed fairly easy and very profitable for anyone thinking to start
this type of farming.

Conclusion

This School based Assessment based on crop production could be concluded by

saying:

Ochro production is a well profitable production if given adequate caution

and patience
Requires just a small amount of attention in order to complete during the
growing season mainly because of its high drought tolerance
Is easy to harvest but very challenging to maintain after harvesting mainly
because of its high perishability
Suitable if an adequate to good income is needed within just a small time
frame.
A profit of $9,280 was made.
 Recommendation

The Researcher came out of this project with some new, profound knowledge
which enables him to recommend some key ideas for better output. These are as
follows:

Build a roof or cover for the crop, similar to that of a greenhouse as heavy
rainfall could lead to severe damage.
Ensure that the environment used for planting is secure from roaming
animals which could potentially damage crops.
Market produce as quickly as possible. Possibly, markets should be sought
first before harvesting.
Pruning and staking should be done, especially in windy areas as the Ochro
is a very fragile plant.
 Avoid overwatering the beds (two times a day with just about three quarter
can of water is enough).
Ensure that the Ochro is placed in the refrigerator after harvesting. Also,
ensure that it is not packed tightly together in the refrigerator as ventilation
is needed.

Guidelines for Cost Analysis of Farm Production Project

(Crop Production)
KC Actua
Tot
Item Description Mar l
al
ks Score

(I) Introduction Name of project

Location
Duration
Description of activities, sketch of
layout of plot, materials and 3
equipment
1 4
Schedule of operations

(ii) Complete Projected income (output x price) 1

budget
Projected expenditure (Itemized) 1

Surplus 1 3

(iii) Actual income Income (from sale of produce) 2

and expenditure
Expenditure 2 5

Surplus/shortfall 1

(iv) Analysis Comparison of projected and actual

income, expenditure and 2
surplus/shortfall
2
General comments 6
1
Conclusion
1
Recommendations

(v) Language Communication of information in a 2 2

logical manner using correct
grammar

TOTAL 20