Current Cost and Return Studies
Cost and return studies for fruit, vegetable, field, tree and vine crops, and animal commodities are available. To view the studies you may need to download Adobe Reader for free.
Join our mailing list to receive notice of new cost study releases. To subscribe, send email to cost_studies-subscribe@primal.ucdavis.edu. To unsubscribe, send email to cost_studies-unsubscribe@primal.ucdavis.edu.
Filter current studies using the map of California| Commodity | Region | County | Year | Production Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfalfa [pdf] | Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley North | see map | 2020 | Establish and produce; flood irrigation |
| Alfalfa [pdf] | Intermountain | Siskiyou | 2020 | Establishment and production, Scott Valley - Mixed Irrigation |
| Alfalfa [pdf] | Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley North, San Joaquin Valley South, Intermountain | see map | 2020 | Organic, Establish and Production, Flood Irrigation |
| Alfalfa [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | Tulare | 2016 | 50 acre study; Small #125 bales, custom harvested |
| Alfalfa [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | Tulare | 2016 | 300 acre study; #1300 bales, custom & grower harvested |
| Alfalfa [pdf] | Sacramento Valley - Northern Delta | see map | 2014 | Sub-surface drip irrigation |
| Almonds [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley North | see map | 2019 | Establish and Produce Almonds, Micro-Sprinkler Irrigation |
| Almonds [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2019 | Establish and Produce Almonds, Double-line Drip Irrigation |
| Almonds [pdf] | Sacramento Valley | see map | 2019 | Establish and Produce Almonds, Micro-Sprinkler Irrigation |
| Almonds [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley North | see map | 2016 | Organic, solid set sprinkler irrigation |
| Apples [pdf] | Central Coast | Santa Cruz/Monterey/San Benito | 2023 | Processing |
| Apples [pdf] | Central Coast | Santa Cruz/Monterey/San Benito | 2023 | Processing, organic |
| Avocados [pdf] | South Coast | San Diego | 2020 | High Density Planting |
| Beans [pdf] | Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley North | see map | 2018 | Garbanzo (Chickpeas), Sub-surface drip irrigation, fall planted |
| Beans [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2018 | Garbanzo (Chickpeas), Sub-surface drip irrigation, winter planted |
| Beans [pdf] | Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley North | see map | 2016 | Baby Lima |
| Beans [pdf] | Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley North | see map | 2016 | Large Lima |
| Beans [pdf] | Sacramento Valley | see map | 2014 | Common Dry Varieties - Double Cropped |
| Beans [pdf] | Sacramento Valley | see map | 2014 | Dry Brush and Vine Varieties - Single Cropped |
| Beef [pdf] | Central San Joaquin Valley | Madera/Fresno | 2019 | Cow/Calf Production, (200 Head), Owned and Rented Pasture |
| Beef [pdf] | Central Coast | see map | 2018 | Cow - Calf Operation, 300 Head |
| Beef [pdf] | Northern Sacramento Valley | see map | 2017 | Yearling/Stocker Production (300 Head) |
| Beef [pdf] | Northern Sacramento Valley | see map | 2017 | Cow-Calf Production (300 Head) |
| Beef [pdf] | Northern Sacramento Valley | see map | 2017 | Beef Cattle Finished on Grass (20 Head) |
| Beef [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2017 | Cow/Calf Operation, 300 Head |
| Beef [pdf] | San Francisco Bay Area–Public Lands | see map | 2017 | Cow/Calf Production (100 Head) |
| Blackberries [pdf] | Central Coast | Santa Cruz/Monterey/San Benito | 2018 | Primocane bearing, Fresh Market |
| Blue Elderberry [pdf] | Sacramento Valley | see map | 2020 | Multi-species Hedgerow with Tillage |
| Blue Elderberry [pdf] | Sacramento Valley | see map | 2020 | High-density Hedgerow with Tillage |
| Blue Elderberry [pdf] | Sacramento Valley | see map | 2020 | Hedgerow Without Tillage |
| Broccoli [pdf] | Central Coast | Santa Cruz/Monterey/San Benito | 2023 | Bunched 14s, production and harvesting |
| Broccoli [pdf] | Central Coast | Santa Cruz/Monterey/San Benito | 2023 | Crown cut, production and harvesting |
| Cherries [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley North | see map | 2017 | Sweet Cherries, Fresh Market |
| Corn [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2015 | Grain corn, furrow irrigated |
| Corn [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley North | see map | 2015 | Silage corn, conservation tillage |
| Corn [pdf] | Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley North | see map | 2015 | Field corn |
| Cover Crops [pdf] | Lower Sacramento Valley | see map | 2022 | Winter cover crop in an annual rotation |
| Grapes/Raisins [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley North, San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2016 | Dry-on-Vine, Open Gable Trellis System |
| Grapes/Raisins [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley North, San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2016 | Dry-on-Vine, Overhead Trellis System |
| Grapes/Table [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2018 | Flame Seedless, Early Maturing |
| Grapes/Table [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2018 | Sheegene-21(Ivory™), Early Maturing |
| Grapes/Table [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2018 | Scarlet Royal, Mid-season Maturing |
| Grapes/Table [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2018 | Autumn King, Late Maturing |
| Grapes/Wine [pdf] | Bay Area—Livermore Valley | Alameda | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon, Establishment and Production |
| Grapes/Wine [pdf] | Bay Area—Livermore Valley | Alameda | 2021 | Chardonnay, Establishment and Production |
| Grapes/Wine [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley North | San Joaquin/Sacramento | 2021 | Quadrilateral Trellis, Cabernet Sauvignon, Crush District 11, Establishment and Production |
| Grapes/Wine [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley North | San Joaquin/Sacramento | 2021 | High Cordon Mechanical Pruning, Single Wire Trellis, Cabernet Sauvignon, Crush District 11, Establishment and Production |
| Grapes/Wine [pdf] | North Coast | Napa | 2020 | Establishment & Production, Mechanical Cultural Operations, Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Grapes/Wine [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | Kings/Fresno/Kern/Madera/Tulare | 2019 | Red-Rubired, Establishment and Productio |
| Grapes/Wine [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | Madera/Fresno/Merced/Stanislaus | 2019 | Red-Cabernet Sauvignon, Establishment and Production |
| Grapes/Wine [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | Madera/Fresno/Merced/Stanislaus | 2019 | White-Chardonnay, Establishment and Production |
| Grapes/Wine [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | Kings/Fresno/Kern/Madera/Tulare | 2019 | White-Colombard, Establishment and Production |
| Grapes/Wine [pdf] | North Coast | Mendocino | 2016 | Biodynamic & organic production practices |
| Grapes/Wine [pdf] | North Coast - Russian River Valley | Sonoma | 2016 | Chardonnay & Pinot noir |
| Grapes/Wine [pdf] | Intermountain - Sierra Nevada | see map | 2015 | Establish and produce a 5 acre bilateral cordon vineyard, red wine variety |
| Lemons [pdf] | South Coast | Ventura | 2020 | Establishment and Production, Micro-sprinkler Irrigation |
| Lemons [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2015 | Establishment and production; low volume irrigation |
| Lettuce [pdf] | Central Coast | Santa Cruz/Monterey/San Benito | 2023 | Iceberg, production and harvesting |
| Lettuce [pdf] | Central Coast | Santa Cruz/Monterey/San Benito | 2023 | Romain hearts, production and harvesting |
| Olive Oil [pdf] | Sacramento Valley | see map | 2016 | Establish high density orchard, oil production |
| Olives [pdf] | Central Valley | see map | 2023 | Table, Manzanillo variety, Drip irrigation |
| Olives [pdf] | Central Valley | see map | 2023 | Table, modern-style medium density, machine harvest |
| Onions [pdf] | Intermountain - Klamath Basin, Intermountain - Tulelake Basin | see map | 2016 | For dehydrating |
| Oranges [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2021 | Establishment and Production, Navels, Low-Volume Irrigation |
| Orchardgrass Hay [pdf] | Intermountain | Lassen/Shasta/Siskiyou | 2016 | stablishment/production, small bales for horse feed industry, 300 acres |
| Pasture [pdf] | Sierra Nevada Foothill | see map | 2020 | Establish (till) or Reestablish (no-till) and Production, Flood Irrigated |
| Pasture [pdf] | Sierra Nevada Foothill | see map | 2020 | Production, Flood Irrigated |
| Pasture [pdf] | Sacramento Valley | see map | 2015 | Production; flood irrigation |
| Pasture [pdf] | Sacramento Valley | see map | 2015 | Establish or reestablishment and production; flood irrigation |
| Peaches [pdf] | Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley North, San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2017 | Processing (Cling and Freestone), Extra-early Harvest |
| Peaches [pdf] | Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley North, San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2017 | Processing (Cling and Freestone), Late Harvest, Establishment and Production |
| Pears [pdf] | Sacramento Valley | Yolo/Sacramento | 2018 | Sacramento River Delta, Green Bartlett |
| Pistachios [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2020 | Low-volume Irrigation |
| Plums [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2016 | Fresh Market, Double Line Drip Irrigation, Establishment & Production |
| Potatoes [pdf] | Intermountain - Klamath Basin | see map | 2015 | Chippers for processing |
| Potatoes [pdf] | Intermountain - Klamath Basin | see map | 2015 | Fresh market |
| Prunes [pdf] Prunes [xlsm] | Sacramento Valley | see map | 2022 | French variety, establishment and production |
| Raspberries [pdf] | Central Coast | Santa Cruz/Monterey/San Benito | 2017 | Establishment and production using tunnels. Primocane bearing |
| Rice [pdf] | Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta | San Joaquin/Sacramento | 2022 | Continuous Rice, Delta Area |
| Rice [pdf] | Sacramento Valley | see map | 2021 | Rice-only rotation, Medium grain |
| Sheep [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2022 | 3,000 head (ewes) operation |
| Sorghum [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley North, San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2016 | Grain Sorghum |
| Sorghum [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley North, San Joaquin Valley South | see map | 2016 | Sorghum Silage |
| Spinach [pdf] | Central Coast | Santa Cruz/Monterey/San Benito | 2015 | High density, sprinkler irrigated, 80-inch beds |
| Strawberries [pdf] | Central Coast | Santa Cruz/Monterey/San Benito | 2022 | Organic, Fresh Market |
| Strawberries [pdf] | Central Coast | Santa Cruz/Monterey | 2021 | Fresh Market |
| Sunflowers [pdf] | Sacramento Valley | see map | 2018 | Hybrid Seed Production, Sub-surface Drip Irrigation |
| Tomatoes [pdf] | Sacramento Valley - Northern Delta | see map | 2023 | Processing, Sub-surface Drip Irrigated (SDI) |
| Tomatoes [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley South | Fresno | 2018 | Sub-surface Drip Irrigated (SDI) |
| Walnuts [pdf] | Sacramento Valley | see map | 2022 | Establishment and Production, Chandler variety |
| Walnuts [pdf] | San Joaquin Valley North | see map | 2017 | Establishment and Production |
| Wheat [pdf] | Sacramento Valley | see map | 2016 | Irrigated |
For questions regarding the cost study releases, contact Don Stewart, (530) 752-4651, destewart@ucdavis.edu.