Summary of 2000 Ridge and Indian River-South Florida Citrus Caretaker Surveys 1

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1 Summary of 2000 Ridge and Indian River-South Florida Citrus Caretaker Surveys 1 Ronald P. Muraro 2 This year's annual questionnaire surveys were conducted via the U.S. Postal Service from February 2000 through April Thirty-three citrus caretakers participated in the Ridge area survey, and 22 citrus caretakers participated in the Indian River-South Florida area survey. Cooperatives (and their members) and growers performing their own cultural practices were not surveyed. The author expresses sincere thanks to those caretakers and their staffs who took time from their busy schedules to report their custom charges. Caretakers answering the Ridge area survey reported servicing 73,373 acres planted to citrus, or 2,620 acres per caretaker. This represents approximately 20.2 percent of the total acreage planted in the Ridge area. The Indian River-South Florida area participants serviced 44,252 total acres, or 2,950 acres per caretaker. This represents approximately 11.6 percent of the Indian River-South Florida area's citrus acreage. A majority of the Indian River-South Florida growers conduct their own cultural practices. The itemized custom rates (expressed as the low and high rate reported) and the rate average for the 2000 survey are the most current available. Custom rates for growers who are members of cooperatives and costs for growers who conduct their own cultural practices may differ from the survey's caretaker rate averages. For more detailed information on custom rates and other citrus production cost data for and previous years, please contact either the author or your local county extension citrus specialist. Note: The mandatory decontamination requirements to help control the spread of citrus canker will likely increase the custom rate charges in the season. Also, custom rate charges may increase if the current high cost of fuel continues. 1. This is document FE 211, a publication of the Department of Food and Resource Economics, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Published November Please visit the EDIS website at: 2. Ronald P. Muraro, professor and farm management economist, Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Florida, Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred, FL. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. For information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension Service office. Florida Cooperative Extension Service/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences/University of Florida/Christine Taylor Waddill, Dean.

2 Summary of 2000 Ridge and Indian River-South Florida Citrus Caretaker Surveys 2 Table 1. A listing of the year 2000 custom rates as reported by 33 Ridge citrus caretakers. CULTIVATION AND EQUIPMENT Hand Hoe/Hand Labor Hour $ $ $ Plus transportation Tractor/Equipment Operator Labor (Driver) Hour Mechanic Labor Hour Includes truck Rotovate Hour Disc 7 feet Hour Disc 7 feet Acre One-way discing Disc 9-10 feet Hour Disc 9-10 feet Acre One-way discing Chop Hour Chop Acre One-way chopping Mow 5-7 feet Hour Mow 9-10 feet Hour Mow 5-7 feet Acre Mow 9-10 feet Acre Mow feet Acre Herbicide (strip/band-single boom) z Hour Plus materials Herbicide (strip/band-single boom) z Acre Plus materials Herbicide (strip/band-double boom) z Acre Plus materials Herbicide (piggy back appliance) z Acre Plus materials; $31.33/hour average Herbicide (chemical mow) z Acre Plus materials Herbicide (chemical mow) z Hour Plus materials Temik z Acre Plus materials Plow Hour $9.25/acre average Deviner Hour Bush Hog Hour One reporting $11.75/acre Pickup Truck with Driver Hour ,767 miles/year/pickup average Pickup Truck without Driver Hour Flatbed Transport Truck with Driver Hour ,750 /miles/year average Low-Boy Transport Hour Tractor with Driver Hour Water/Supply Truck Hour One reporting $100/day

3 Summary of 2000 Ridge and Indian River-South Florida Citrus Caretaker Surveys 3 IRRIGATION Microsprinkler $3.00/acre, $25.00/month, $17.40/trip Start/stop and supervision Microsprinkler Hour Start/stop and supervison (truck & driver) Freeze Protection with Irrigation $45.00 per night per system $25.00 per night per system to monitor weather and have employees standing-by ATV with Driver Hour Check/repair microsprinkler irrigation system plus materials Ring Young Trees Hand Labor Hour Labor plus equipment Mechanical Hour Backhoe Table 1. A listing of the year 2000 custom rates as reported by 33 Ridge citrus caretakers. SPRAYING z Tree-See Air Blast Sprayer (engine driven) $115/hour // Curtec Soraver 22 GPA Engine Driven Airblast Spray (1,000 gallon tank) 250 GPA PTO High Pressure Sprayer Hour Tractor and sprayer plus 2 men AIR BLAST SPRAYER Engine Driven PTO Powered Tree See Technology 500 GPA Acre $35.00/acre 250 GPA Acre $30.00/acre 125 GPA Acre $25.00/acre 100 GPA Acre $23.05/acre Aerial (Bell-47 helicopter) 5 GPA; 10 GPA; 15 GPA; GPA FERTILIZER AND SOIL AMENDMENTS z Inject Liquid Fertilizer into Irrigation System Hour Truck plus labor Inject Liquid Fertilizer into Irrigation System Acre $61.88/irrigation injection hookup average Liquid Boom Application (double boom) Acre Dry (bulk) Acre $32.56/hour average Lime or Dolomite Acre Lime or Dolomite Ton Fertilize Young Trees z Hand Spread Hour Plus transportation and materials Fertilizer Spreader Hour Plus materials; $6.87/acre average

4 Summary of 2000 Ridge and Indian River-South Florida Citrus Caretaker Surveys 4 REMOVING TREES Tree Shearing (cutting tree at ground level) Hour trees/hour average for trees sheared 1,600 trees/day (solid-set) Front End Loader Hour trees/hours average for trees removed Front End Loader with Tree Spade Hour PRUNING General Pruning (Rehab) Per Tree Depends on trees/acre requiring pruning Power Saw with Operator Hour Plus transportation Limb Lifter/Tree Skirt Timmer (double sided) Hour acres per one pass Hedging Single Side (tractor mounted) Hour acres/hour Double Side (tractor pulled) Hour acres/hour Double Side (tractor mounted) Hour Double Side (self propelled) Hour acres/hour Double Side (self propelled) Hour acres/hour Topping Tractor Pulled Hour acres/hour Tractor Mounted Hour Self Propelled Hour acres/hour (roof top) 5-20 acres/hour (flat top) Double Boom (self propelled) Hour acres/hour (roof top) acres/hour (flat top) Removing Brush Haul Brush Out of Grove Hour Tractor-trailer/truck (driver plus 1 person) Front-End Loader (push brush) Hour acres/hour Chop/Mow Brush Hour acres/hour, $9.88/acre average BANK AND UNBANK TREES Hand Labor Hour Labor plus transportation, $0.50/tree bank/unbank Table 1. A listing of the year 2000 custom rates as reported by 33 Ridge citrus caretakers. Mechanical Hour $0.37/wrap (install wraps) OTHER CUSTOM RATES Plant Tree Resets Tree Stake, plant, and first watering Solid Set Planting Tree Stake, plant, and first watering Travel/Set-up Charge Hour Reporting average

5 Summary of 2000 Ridge and Indian River-South Florida Citrus Caretaker Surveys 6 Table 2. A listing of the year 2000 custom rates as reported by 22 Indian River and South Florida citrus caretakers. CULTIVATION AND EQUIPMENT Hand Labor Hour $ $ $ Plus transportation and equipment Tractor/Equipment Operator Labor (Driver) Hour Mechanic Labor Hour Labor and service truck Rotovate Hour Disc 7-8 feet Hour Disc 10 feet Hour Mow (Off-set or side mower) Hour Mow 5-8 feet Hour Mow 9-10 feet Hour Mow 5-8 feet Acre Mow 9-10 feet Acre Mow feet Acre $9.00/acre average V-Mower Hour $9.00/acre average Sickle Mower Hour Herbicide (strip/band-single boom) z Hour Plus materials Herbicide (strip/band-single boom) z Acre Plus materials Herbicide (strip/band-double boom) z Acre Plus materials; $36.69/hour average Herbicide (chemical mow) z Acre Plus materials Temik z Acre Plus materials Plow Hour Deviner Hour Middle Buster Hour With tractor and driver Mound Builder Hour With tractor and driver Grader Blade Hour With tractor/blade and driver Bush Hog Hour Water Truck with Driver Hour Pickup Truck with Driver Hour ,500 miles/year/pickup average Flatbed Transport Truck with Driver Hour ,225 miles/year/transport truck average Tractor with Driver Hour ATV with Driver Hour

6 Summary of 2000 Ridge and Indian River-South Florida Citrus Caretaker Surveys 7 IRRIGATION Ditch Mower Hour Water Furrow Disc Hour Water Furrow Cleaner Hour One reporting $0.02/foot (single bed) Water Furrow Shaper (laser control) Hour One reporting $0.05/foot (single bed) Rotary Ditcher or Auger Hour Water Slinger Hour Micropsprinrkler/Drip Irrigation Maintenance Acre Check and repair system; parts extra Table 2. A listing of the year 2000 custom rates as reported by 22 Indian River and South Florida citrus caretakers. SPRAYING z Hand Sprayer Hour Tractor and handgun sprayer plus 2 men AIR BLAST SPRAYER Engine Driven PTO Powered Tree See Technology 500 GPA Acre $36.33/acre 250 GPA Acre $28.00/acre 125 GPA Acre $23.13/acre 100 GPA Acre Curtec (25 GPA) Acre GPA Aerial Fixed Wing 5 GPA; Bell Helicopter 5 GPA Aerial Fixed Wing 10 GPA; Bell Helicopter 10 GPA Aerial Fixed Wing 15 GPA; Huie Helicopter 15 GPA Aerial Fixed Wing 20 GPA; Huie Helicopter 20 GPA FERTILIZER AND SOIL AMENDMENTS z Inject Liquid Fertilizer into Irrigation System Hour Truck plus labor; one reporting $30/setting Liquid Boom Application Single Boom Acre 7.00 Double Boom Acre Dry (bulk) Acre $32.50/hour, $19.00/ton average Lime or Dolomite Acre Lime or Dolomite Ton Fertilize Young Trees z Hand Spread Hour Plus transportation; one reporting $0.10/tree Fertilizer Spreader Hour Plus materials

7 Summary of 2000 Ridge and Indian River-South Florida Citrus Caretaker Surveys 8 Microsprinkler $25.00/setting; $33.33/hour (truck & driver) Start/stop and supervison (truck & driver) REMOVING TREES Tree Shearing (cutting tree at ground level) Hour trees/hour average for trees sheared; one reporting 53 trees Front End Loader Hour trees/hour average for trees removed; 52 trees (solid-set push) Table 2. A listing of the year 2000 custom rates as reported by 22 Indian River and South Florida citrus caretakers. PRUNING General Pruning (Rehab/Freeze Damage) Tree 3.50 Power Saw with Operator Hour Hedging Double Side (tractor pulled) Hour acres/hour, $15.67/acre average Double Side (tractor mounted) Hour Double Side (self propelled) Hour acres/hour, $16.50/acre average Double Side (self propelled fixed boom) Hour acres/hour (bed top only) Topping Tractor Pulled Hour acres/hour $36/acre (gable cut) $26/acre (flat top) Tractor Pulled Hour acres/hour (roof top) acres/hour (flat top) Tractor Mounted Hour Double Sided Topper Hour acres, $28/acre average Double boom (self propelled) Hour acres/hour (roof top) acres/hour (flat top) Limb Lifter/Tree Skirt Trimmer Acre acres/hour Limb Lifter/Tree Skirt Trimmer Hour Removing Brush Haul Brush Out of Grove Hour Front-end loader Chop/Mow Brush Hour $8.50/acre average OTHER CUSTOM RATES Install Tree Wraps $0.10-$0.25 acres/hour, depending on wrap type and number of trees Plant Trees (solid set) Tree Varies as to density Plant Tree (resets) Tree Varies as to the number of resets

8 Summary of 2000 Ridge and Indian River-South Florida Citrus Caretaker Surveys 9 Grove Management Charge/Month Supervising Grove Care Operations Acre In addition to caretaking charges Handling Fruit Marketing $0.15-$0.25/box; $0.05/pound solids One reporting $5/acre/month for supervising and managing Supervising/handling chemicals/fertilizer 7-15% of materials cost; 12% average Personnel Charges $0.10-$0.25/box; 12% average Table 2. A listing of the year 2000 custom rates as reported by 22 Indian River and South Florida citrus caretakers. Consulting $111.67/hour average for Horticultural Evaluation and/or Financial Analysis Prospectus Consulting $250/day for Cultural Management only Total Acreage-Provided Grove Service to Acre 340-8,000 2,950 44,252 total acres reporting Source: Ronald P. Muraro, professor, University of Florida, Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred, FL, June z Plus materials. Caretakers reporting rates include labor, tractor, and sprayer. Supply truck included by most caretakers. y Calculated by dividing the total number of caretakers reporting a grove practice rate into the sum reported. Unless otherwise stated, labor included with all charges.