We’re approaching the fall harvest again, so harvest rates are a topic of interest. Custom rates for harvesting operations in Nebraska have continued to increase based on data gathered from the latest biennial Nebraska Custom Rates Survey completed in 2024. Custom rate figures are provided by operators who perform custom hire services and respond to the survey. The first several pages of Part II of the 2024 report provide custom rate figures for harvesting grains and soybeans, followed by updated figures for hauling operations for grain and hay. The report is one source custom operators may use to help determine what to charge for agricultural custom services. In addition, it is recommended that machine operation costs be calculated and other factors considered as custom rates are set.

Harvest operations on a rate-per-acre basis across Nebraska were widely reported in the survey for soybeans, irrigated corn, and dryland corn. Additional rate information is available in the report on combining high-moisture corn, grain sorghum, and dry edible beans on a rate-per-acre basis. Rate information is published for various custom operations by the Nebraska Agricultural Statistics Districts as long as at least three responses are received.

2024 custom rates information provided in Table 1 shows a significant increase in per-acre harvest rates for corn and soybeans. Continue reading

Read the full article