The return on your investment could be quick
Is your operation in the sweet spot for owning a sprayer? Of course, every decision has downsides (and a price tag). But, investing in a sprayer for your farm could offer a clear upside.
“Sprayers, on average, have a great ROI,” says Nick Horob, product manager of Harvest Profit. “I’ve seen custom ap-plication cost anywhere from $6 to $10 per acre. It’s common a farmer can spray 1,000 acres per day with a self-propelled sprayer. While every situation is different, an owned sprayer often presents a big ROI.”
In addition, he says, self-spraying offers two key benefits:
- Flexibility: You can source the products you want to use and buy them from the suppliers of your choice.
- Timeliness: You can spray during the most ideal windows versus being on someone else’s schedule.
While those are big benefits, owning a sprayer does increase your labor needs (especially since you will likely make multiple applications). In addition, you need extra training and face some liability issues, Horob adds.
Any new piece of equipment can be an emotional decision. Before you pull the trigger, put numbers to the situation, says Shay Foulk, Illinois farmer and consultant with Ag View Solutions.
“We farmers often say phrases such as, ‘I know this will add 5 bu. to our bottom line,’ or ‘I think this product is going to give us an advantage,’” he says. “However, there are ways you can put numbers to these decisions.”
Use these factors, Foulk says, to evaluate any on-farm investment:
- Grain Price: Projected prices for your main commodities.
- Investment Cost Per Acre: How much will it cost to make this enhancement or upgrade?
- Yield Improvement Per Acre: This is your educated guess for yield improvement. For sprayers, factor in timeli-ness of spray windows.
- Acres: Across how many acres will you use the technology on?
- Years of Use: How many years do you plan to use it?
By combining these factors, you can provide a tangible number for discussion with your team as you move forward, Foulk says.
“The important part is knowing the numbers and making an informed decision,” he says.
Sara Schafer uses her Missouri farm roots to cover crop management, business topics, farmland and more.
