Each year the USDA, Pennsylvania Agricultural Statistics Service, prepares the machinery custom rates for the Mountain and Valley regions of Pennsylvania.

Although they were not published for 2015, they are now available online for 2016.

These rates are averages from voluntary reports by custom operators and farmers throughout Pennsylvania. The rates include the cost of hiring machine with fuel and operator and exclude the cost of seed, fertilizer, and other materials used unless otherwise specified.

Individual rates vary due to differences in working conditions, services performed, or even the operator’s eagerness to do custom work. Therefore, the average rates shown should not be considered absolute indications of fair charges.

The differences in rates between the two regions in Pennsylvania reflect differences in terrain, soils and alternative opportunities for the labor and equipment used.

Some of the highlighted rates for our region in Western Pennsylvania (Mountain) are listed as follows:

- Corn combining, $35 per acre

- Small square baling (cut, rake, bale and store), $2.15 per bale

- Planting corn with fertilizer (no-till), $24.90 per acre

- Planting soybeans, without fertilizer (no-till), $23.70 per acre

- Drilling small grain, without fertilizer (conventional till), $19.10 per acre

- Spraying for weed control excluding material, $11.90 per acre

- Grain storage, $.05/bushel per month

- Bushhogging, $26 per acre

- Post hole digging, $5.85 per hole

The full report can be downloaded from www.nass.usda.gov/pa and click on “Pennsylvania Publications.”

Luke Fritz is executive director of the Butler County Farm Service Agency.