Crop Net Margin Calculator

For this planning calculator, indicative net margin per hectare is crop output plus other income such as straw, minus variable costs and overheads you choose to allocate. It is an estimate for discussion only—definitions of overheads vary by farm and do not replace business or accountancy records.

Gross margin here means gross output minus variable (crop-specific) costs per hectare. Net margin deducts fixed costs or overheads you include in your scenario. How you split costs is your choice; this tool does not prescribe a single farm accountancy method.

Enter grain yield and price in the units shown. Gross output from grain is yield multiplied by price per tonne, before optional straw or other income. Use your own figures where available; example values are for illustration only.

Straw income is highly variable. You can exclude it, enter a direct £/ha figure, or estimate from grain yield and a straw factor. Replace example assumptions with your own contract or on-farm valuation where possible.

Variable costs typically include seed, fertiliser, crop protection, drying, levies, haulage and other crop-specific items. Overheads might include machinery, labour, rent or finance and admin—but businesses differ. Use the level of detail you want to test; this is not a substitute for professional business or tax advice.

At the yield and costs you enter, break-even grain price is the price per tonne that would cover total costs after allowing for straw and other income in this model. If non-grain income exceeds costs at your inputs, the tool explains that rather than showing a confusing negative break-even.

At the grain price and costs you enter, break-even yield is the yield per hectare that would cover total costs after straw and other income. It is an indicative planning figure only.

You can switch crop tabs to load example figures and guidance for each crop, but this is a single-scenario calculator. Comparing crops side by side is best done by saving or printing each run—there is no built-in scenario comparison.

No. Example figures demonstrate how the maths works—they are not official benchmarks, current market prices, AHDB figures, guarantees or agronomic recommendations. Replace them with your own numbers before making decisions.

No. Outputs are indicative planning estimates only. The tool does not replace professional business, tax, accountancy or agronomy advice tailored to your situation.

Some businesses include machinery, labour and rent fully in overhead rates; others apportion differently or exclude items. Margin comparisons between farms only make sense when cost definitions align—use your own structure when interpreting results.

Small changes in yield or grain price can change net margins materially. The heatmap lets you scan upside and downside as an indicative stress test—not a prediction of markets or yields.