Washington Ginseng Costs and Returns: Conventional Production
Darren Deputy, Pacific Rim Ginseng
Ridgefield, WA 360-887-3128
e-mail: DKZB@aol.com
Note: This budget represents the work of one experienced grower only. However, Mr. Deputy is very successful in his herb business. It is not a budget that has been prepared by Washington State University.
| Category | Preparation year (fall seeding) |
Year 1 (1st leaf) |
Year 2 (2nd leaf) |
Year 3 (3rd leaf) |
Year 4 (Harvest) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income | |||||
| Ginseng root (3,000 lbs./ac in year 4 at $20/lb.) | $60,000 | ||||
| Green ginseng sold in year 3 ($20/lb at 100 lbs./ac) |
$2,000 | $0 | |||
| Green ginseng seed sold in year 4 ($20/lb at 300 lbs./ac) |
$6,000 | ||||
| Total income | $2,000 | $66,000 | |||
| Direct costs per acre Crop Supplies and Services |
|||||
| Stratified seed (100 lb/ac at $32/lb) | $3,200 | ||||
| Fertilizer | $200 | $100 | $200 | $300 | $400 |
| Mulch Douglas fir) | $620 | $300 | - | - | - |
| Pesticides this is for non-organic production) | $100 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 |
| Tractor fuel and lubrication | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $200 |
| Machinery repair and maintenance | $340 | $200 | $200 | $200 | $220 |
| Custom work/rentals | $200 | - | - | - | - |
| Shadecloth | - | $8,000 | - | - | - |
| Treated posts | $480 | - | - | - | - |
| Cable and hardware | $1000 | - | - | - | - |
| Harvesting and Drying Costs | |||||
| Seed harvest | - | - | - | $300 | $1,200 |
| Seed cleaning and stratification | - | - | - | $50 | $150 |
| Dig root (machinery and labor) | - | - | - | - | $1,500 |
| Dry root | - | - | - | - | $400 |
| Remove root and dryer and load into barrels for storage | - | - | - | - | $760 |
| Other costs | |||||
| Marketing root | - | - | - | - | $1,000 |
| Miscellaneous | $250 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $250 |
| Total costs | $6,490 | $9,400 | $1,200 | $1,650 | $6,680 |
| Gross Margin | ($6,490) | ($9,400) | ($1,200) | $150 | $59,320 |
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