Benchmarking Tool
Find out what the key performance indicators are for farm classes in your region and see how you compare.
Find out what the key performance indicators are for farm classes in your region and see how you compare.
Do you want to compare your sheep & beef farming business? Are you leaving money on the table?
The farm benchmarking web tool is the first step to providing a sheep and beef farm benchmarking toolset that allows you to select farm data relevant to your situation. It aims to simplify existing spreadsheet and quintile analysis.
We encourage you to try this out and provide comments to help improve and direct future development.
Find out what the key performance indicators are for farm classes in your region and see how you compare.
Effective Area:
For most sheep and beef farm performance analysis the Effective Farm Area is defined as the combined area of pasture and all forage and cash crops.
Stock Unit Conversion Ratios for Survey (Economic Service Conversions):
| Sheep | Stock Units |
|---|---|
| Ewes | 1.0 |
| Hoggets | 0.7 |
| Wethers | 0.7 |
| Rams | 0.8 |
| Beef Cattle | Cattle Equivalent* | Stock Units |
|---|---|---|
| M.A. Cows | 1.0 | 5.5 |
| Heifers 2.5 Yr | 1.0 | 5.5 |
| Heifers 1.5 Yr | 0.8 | 4.4 |
| Heifers Weaner | 0.6 | 3.5 |
| Bulls Weaner | 0.8 | 4.5 |
| Steers Weaner | 0.8 | 4.5 |
| Steers 1.5 Yr | 0.9 | 5.0 |
| Steers 2.5 Yr | 1.0 | 5.5 |
| Bull Beef 1.5 Yr+ | 1.0 | 5.5 |
| Bulls Breeding | 1.0 | 5.5 |
| Grazing Dairy Cattle | Cattle Equivalent | Stock Units |
|---|---|---|
| Grazing Dairy Cattle | 0.8 | 4.5 |
| Dairy Cattle | Dairy Cow Equivalent* | Stock Units |
|---|---|---|
| Jersey Cows | 1.0 | 6.5 |
| Friesian Cows | 1.3 | 8.5 |
| Other Jersey Stock | 0.5 | 3.5 |
| Other Friesian Stock | 0.7 | 4.5 |
| Calves | 0.3 | 2.0 |
| Bulls | 0.7 | 5.0 |
| Deer | Stock Units |
|---|---|
| Hinds, breeding | 1.9 |
| Hinds, 1.5 year | 1.8 |
| Hinds, weaner | 1.2 |
| Stags, weaner | 1.4 |
| Stags, 1.5 year | 1.8 |
| Stags 2.5 year + | 2.2 |
| Stags, master | 2.2 |
| Goats | Stock Units |
|---|---|
| Female 1 year + | 0.8 |
| Female to 1 year | 0.5 |
| Male to 1 year | 0.5 |
| Male 1 year + | 0.5 |
| Buck | 0.8 |
*Cattle Equivalent and Dairy Cow Equivalent are not used in Economic Service Survey calculations
Lambing %:
The number of lambs tailed as a percentage of ewes mated in the previous autumn (adjusted for the sale or purchase of in-lamb ewes).
Calving %:
The number of calves marked as a percentage of cows mated (adjusted for the sale or purchase of in-calf cows).
Fawning %:
The number of fawns marked as a percentage of hinds mated (adjusted for the sale or purchase of in-fawn hinds).
Sheep / Cattle Revenue:
Net stock sales being sales less purchases + the value of change in livestock numbers. (The closing market value of each class of livestock is applied to the difference between the open and close numbers in each class of livestock. Value changes are summed to provide the total value of change in livestock numbers).
Wool, Velvet and Fibre Revenue:
Net return after deductions on invoice for testing charges, broker charges, freight and marketing levy.
Economic Farm Surplus (EFS):
The return available to the owner-operator of a freehold, unencumbered farm after allowance has been made for labour and management input. It is calculated as follows:
EFS = Farm Profit Before Tax + Managerial salaries + Interest paid + Rent paid - Assessed managerial reward (equivalent to the ruling wage for an experienced farm worker + 1% of farm capital for management)
Rate of Return on Total Farm Capital (ROR on TFC):
EFS as a percentage of Total Farm Capital. Total Farm Capital is defined as Farm Capital (farm assets at market value) plus an allowance for working capital. The working capital allowance is necessary because of timing differences between farm revenue and expenditure that results in overdraft facilities being required to finance expenditure, or high credit balances to pay for seasonal expenditure. The working capital allowance is assumed at 50 per cent of the sum of Working Expenses and Assessed Managerial Reward.
Earning Before Interest, Tax and Rent (EBITR):
Farm Profit before Interest, Tax and Rent.
Gross Farm Revenue (GFR):
Total revenue earned from the year's farming operations. From this, Total Farm Expenditure that was spent to generate the farm revenue is deducted to show the Farm Profit Before Tax (PBT) for the year.