2025 ICB: dryland winter crops for the Free State
WINTER CROPS  //  2025 Income and Cost Budgets

Free State – dryland

Income and cost budgets for wheat for Eastern and Central Free State
Area Eastern Free State Central Free State
Crop Wheat Wheat
Production system Dryland

1. Income

Yield: deterministic Ton/ha 2.50 2.50
SAFEX simulated / derived price: 2025 R/ton 6 327 6 327
Total deductions R/ton 806 789
– Transport differential R/ton 373 356
– Grade differential R/ton 336 336
– Marketing, handling and statutory levies R/ton 96 96
Price premiums / Canola back-payment R/ton
Net farm gate price R/ton 5 522 5 539
Gross income R/ha R13 805 R13 847

2. Variable expenditures

Contracting R/ha 990 990
Crop insurance R/ha 428 1 108
Fertilizer R/ha 2 688 2 265
Lime R/ha 563 697
Seed R/ha 701 701
Fuel R/ha 912 1 292
Herbicide R/ha 641 682
Insecticide R/ha 117 241
Fungicides R/ha
Marketing costs R/ha 52 52
Repairs and maintenance R/ha 1 011 1 011
Casual labour R/ha
Aerial spray R/ha
Other expenditure R/ha 32
Total variable expenditure R/ha R8 135 R9 038
Total variable expenditure R/ton R3 254 R3 615
3.1 Gross margin R/ha R5 670 R4 809
3.2 Gross margin R/ton R2 268 R1 924
Break-even yield T/ha 1.47 1.63
Break-even price R/ton R3 254 R3 615
Source: VKB, GSA and BFAP, updated April 2025.
Gross margin comparison – Baseline: Free State (Eastern and Central regions)
Graph showing baseline gross margin comparison of the Free State

Gross margin per hectare: Central Free State

Wheat sensitivity analysis: Eastern Free State
Yield (t/ha)
Producers price 1.75 2.00 2.25 2.50 2.75 3.00 3.25
R4 522 -222 909 2 039 3 170 4 300 5 431 6 561
R4 772 216 1 409 2 602 3 795 4 988 6 181 7 374
R5 022 653 1 909 3 164 4 420 5 675 6 931 8 186
R5 272 1 091 2 409 3 727 5 045 6 363 7 681 8 999
R5 522 1 528 2 909 4 289 5 670 7 050 8 431 9 811
R5 772 1 966 3 409 4 852 6 295 7 738 9 181 10 624
R6 022 2 403 3 909 5 414 6 920 8 425 9 931 11 436
R6 272 2 841 4 409 5 977 7 545 9 113 10 681 12 249
R6 522 3 278 4 909 6 539 8 170 9 800 11 431 13 061
Wheat sensitivity analysis: Eastern Free State
Yield (t/ha)
Producers price 1.75 2.00 2.25 2.50 2.75 3.00 3.25
R4 539 -1 095 39 1 174 2 309 3 444 4 578 5 713
R4 789 -658 539 1 737 2 934 4 131 5 328 6 525
R5 039 -220 1 039 2 299 3 559 4 819 6 078 7 338
R5 289 217 1 539 2 862 4 184 5 506 6 828 8 150
R5 539 655 2 039 3 424 4 809 6 194 7 578 8 963
R5 789 1 092 2 539 3 987 5 434 6 881 8 328 9 775
R6 039 1 530 3 039 4 549 6 059 7 569 9 078 10 588
R6 289 1 967 3 539 5 112 6 684 8 256 9 828 11 400
R6 539 2 405 4 039 5 674 7 309 8 944 10 578 12 213

Notes

  • Please refer to Methodology, Approach and Definitions for in-depth interpretation of enterprise budgets.
  • The canola back-payment assumes 10% of contracted price.
  • The cost items reflect the input allocation based on the target yield for the respective crops.
  • Although some expenditure items are zero, it is reflected in the budgets to allow for individual inclusion.
  • The cost of fuel includes pre-harvest and harvesting costs with the assumption that own machinery is used.
  • The costs for wheat, barley and oats seeds reflect a combination of own and purchased seed.
  • It is important to note that overhead costs are not included and should be accounted for. Overhead costs such as interest on production loans, labour, management and administration will vary to a large extent from producer to producer. Producers will therefore have to deduct the farm business' overhead cost from the gross margins as stipulated in the tables and figures to calculate the net income per crop.
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