October 13, 2020
Financial Management – Statements & Analysis
by Michael Langemeier, Michael Boehlje, and Elizabeth Yeager
Financial management involves the evaluation of liquidity and solvency, financial planning, acquisition and use of financial resources, asset purchases and farm growth, and relationships with agricultural lenders. This series starts by taking a deep dive into the key components of financial statements such as a market value balance sheet, an income statement, a sources and uses of funds statement, and a statement of owner’s equity. Key ingredients to this section include computing the sources of changes in farm equity, and the measurement of profitability and the efficiency of farm asset utilization. With this background, a producer is ready to examine benchmarks of financial performance, repayment capacity, crop machinery investments and costs, and labor efficiency and productivity, and to stress test their financial position and performance.
ARTICLES WITHIN PUBLICATION:
Market Value Balance Sheet and Analysis
A market value balance sheet estimates asset values using current prices for similar assets. The market value balance sheet is relatively easy to derive, more comparable across farms, includes opportunity cost, and often required by lenders. The market value balance sheet allows us to examine the liquidation values of the assets.
Read MoreComponents of an Accrual Farm Income Statement
An accrual income statement contains one of the most important financial measures used by farms, net farm income. Because this measure is accrual, it measures the actual performance of a farm during the year.
Read MoreSources and Uses of Funds Statement
A sources and uses of funds statement, often referred to as a flow of funds report, provides a mechanism for reporting how a farm’s performance during an accounting period influenced and was influenced by major funding activities.
Read MoreStatement of Owner’s Equity
This article is one of a series of financial management articles that examine financial statements and financial analysis. In this article, the components of a statement of owner’s equity are illustrated and described.
Read MoreComputation of Deferred Tax Liabilities
Income tax liabilities arise from differences between balance sheet values of certain assets and liabilities, and the tax basis of those same assets and liabilities. Deferred taxes reconcile the tax basis of balance sheet assets and liabilities with the basis currently being used to value assets and liabilities on a balance sheet, which is usually market value.
Read MoreU.S. Farm Sector Balance Sheet
Since its peak in 2013 at $123.7 billion, average U.S. net farm income has averaged $82.7 billion or approximately 33% less than the peak value. This article discusses changes in the U.S. farm sector balance sheet as well as liquidity and solvency ratios.
Read MoreWorking Capital: What Is It and Do You Have Enough?
Maintain your working capital! This phrase is commonly heard in discussions with lenders, advisors, and management specialists in today’s environment of relatively low crop net returns or margins.
Read MoreHow Much Debt Can a Farm Carry?
There are numerous factors impacting a farm’s debt holding capacity. It is important to remember that financial leverage or debt directly impacts a farm’s growth rate through its effect on expected returns and risk.
Read MoreSchedule F Net Farm Profit and Accrual Net Farm Income
It is widely accepted that accrual accounting provides a more accurate estimate of annual farm profitability than cash accounting or Schedule F net farm profit. This article compares cash and accrual net farm income for a case farm in west central Indiana given alternative scenarios pertaining to prepaid expenses and crop inventories.
Read MoreMeasuring Farm Profitability
The rates of return on assets and equity are extremely useful when comparing farm investments with other investments. However, these two measures are sensitive to how farm assets are valued on the balance sheet. For this reason, the operating profit margin is more conducive for benchmarking profitability among farms.
Read MoreMeasuring Efficiency of Farm Asset Utilization
A farm’s ability to operate on the production frontier depends on its ability to produce crop and livestock enterprises efficiently, while a farm’s ability to produce on the cost frontier pertains to its ability to produce on the production frontier, manage costs, and market crop and livestock commodities. The asset turnover ratio, on the other hand, measures how efficiently farm assets are being used to generate value of farm production (a gross income measure).
Read MoreDu Pont Financial Analysis
The Du Pont financial analysis model is a useful method of illustrating the relationship between the asset turnover ratio, the operating profit margin ratio, return on assets, and return on equity. In this article, a case farm is used to examine the relationships between profitability and financial efficiency ratios, and to examine the impact of a change in revenue, variable costs, or owning rather than leasing 150 acres on financial performance.
Read MoreMeasuring Repayment Capacity and Farm Growth Potential
For a farm to grow, it is essential that the replacement margin be large enough to repay term debt, replace assets, and purchase new assets, and that the replacement coverage ratio be greater than one. This article defines and illustrates the use of key repayment capacity measures.
Read MoreBenchmarking Crop Machinery Investment and Cost per Acre
The continued increase in the size of tractors, combines, and other machinery has enabled farms to operate more acres and reduce labor use per acre. However, this increase in machinery size also makes it increasingly important to evaluate the efficient use of machinery. Two commonly used benchmarks to evaluate the efficient use of machinery are machinery investment per acre and machinery cost per acre.
Read MoreBenchmarking Labor Efficiency and Productivity
It takes a lot of family and hired labor to run modern farms. Labor is an important and costly input and farm managers need to ask if they are getting the efficiency and productivity needed from that labor to be competitive. One way to evaluate this question is to use benchmarks created using data from similar farms. Labor benchmarks should include family and operator labor as well as hired labor.
Read MoreBenchmarking Profitability and Financial Efficiency
This article is one of a series of articles that examine financial statements and financial analysis. In this article, a case farm in west central Indiana is used to illustrate financial performance benchmarks for profitability and financial efficiency ratios.
Read MoreBenchmarking Repayment Capacity Measures
This article is one of a series of financial management articles that examine financial statements and financial analysis. In this article, repayment capacity measures are illustrated for a case farm and discussed.
Read MorePersistence in Financial Performance
This article examines the persistence of financial performance measures for a sample of farms over a five-year period. Specifically, using KFMA whole-farm data for farms with continuous data from 2015 to 2019, the operating profit margin ratio is computed for each farm and year.
Read MoreU.S. Farm Sector Capital Expenditures
We examine trends in capital expenditures and compares capital expenditures to capital consumption (i.e., economic depreciation).
Read MoreU.S. Farm Sector Financial Performance
If we want to include capital gains on assets in our financial performance metrics, return on assets and return on equity are preferable. This article examines trends in return on assets and its components for the U.S. farm sector.
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Each year, numerous emerging technologies claim to boost your production, reduce input usage, or streamline your farm’s operations. However, the effectiveness of these technologies varies across different farms. Purdue ag economists James Mintert, Michael Langemeier, and Chad Fiechter examined how technology affects long-term farm growth and profitability, and share insights from farm financial records and farmer surveys during their 2025 Commodity Classic Learning Center Session on March 4, 2025. Watch the recording now!
READ MOREContingency Planning with Cash Flow Shortages
Contingency plans related to how to respond to changes in projected cash flows are important. Given the expected drop in crop prices this fall and wide variability in expected prices, it would be prudent for a farm to examine the sensitivity of their cash flow and repayment capacity to changes in crop prices. Using a case farm in southwest Indiana, Michael illustrates how contingency plans could be used.
READ MOREBenchmarking Labor Efficiency and Productivity
Labor costs are one of the most prevalent costs on a farm. As such, farm managers need to evaluate whether they are utilizing labor efficiently and productively. One way to evaluate this issue is to use benchmarks created using data from similar farms. Labor benchmarks should include family and operator labor as well as hired labor.
READ MOREUPCOMING EVENTS
We are taking a short break, but please plan to join us at one of our future programs that is a little farther in the future.
(Part 1) 2024 Indiana Farmland Values & Market Trends
Interested in the latest trends and insights on U.S. & Indiana farmland values? This AgCast episode shares insights from the Farm Sector Balance Sheet, USDA data collection methods, regional variations in land values, and the influences of factors such as interest rates and development pressures on farmland prices. Gain an in-depth understanding of trends, market dynamics, and future expectations for farmland values.
READ MOREIndiana farmland prices have continued the trend of record highs in 2024, according to the latest Purdue Farmland Value and Cash Rent Survey. The average price of top-quality farmland reached $14,392 per acre, a 4.8% increase from June 2023. Average and poor-quality farmland also saw gains, with prices increasing 3.7% and 4.4% to $11,630 and $9,071 per acre, respectively.
READ MOREComparing Net Returns for Alternative Leasing Arrangements
Obtaining control of land through leasing has a long history in the United States. Leases on agricultural land are strongly influenced by local custom and tradition. However, in most areas, landowners and operators can choose from several types of lease arrangements. Flexible cash lease arrangements provide a base cash rent plus a bonus which typically represents a share of gross revenue in excess of a certain base value or threshold.
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