Cattle producers can learn to calculate their cost of production and evaluate potential returns during two free virtual trainings this month hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Center for Agricultural Profitability.
The training will show participants how to use the Agricultural Budget Calculator program, or ABC, a free online tool for building and evaluating livestock and crop budgets specific to a producer's own operation. Cattle markets can shift quickly, and knowing the true cost behind those numbers helps producers make more informed management decisions as prices, input costs and market conditions change.
During the session, participants will learn how to:
- Create or update a livestock enterprise budget for their own farm or ranch using ABC.
- Estimate projected cost of production and potential returns, including both cash costs and economic costs.
- Review and interpret ABC reports to understand where costs occur within a cattle enterprise.
- Use budget information to evaluate management decisions as cattle costs, prices and market conditions change.
Two identical sessions are offered so producers can choose the time that works best. They will be held via Zoom on Monday, Sept. 21, at 12:30 p.m. CDT, and Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 6:30 p.m. CDT. A Zoom link and passcode will be emailed to registered participants.
The training is free. Registration is available at https://go.unl.edu/abccattle26.
Producers can find more information on the ABC program at https://cap.unl.edu/abc and view sample Nebraska cattle budgets at https://cap.unl.edu/cattlebudgets.
For more information, contact Glennis McClure, extension educator and farm and ranch management analyst, at gmcclure3@unl.edu or 402-472-0661.
