Cost of production
Work out what it costs you to produce a kilogram of pork, beef or lamb, compare it with the price, and find the costs worth cutting.
Who it's for: Owners and managers of piggeries, cattle and sheep businesses who want to know whether each kilogram they sell pays its way.
Lessons
By the end you'll be able to
- Explain cost of production and why it's measured per kilogram
- Work out cost per kg for pork, beef and lamb on the right weight basis
- Split costs into direct costs and overheads, and share overheads fairly
- Compare cost with price and rank the costs worth looking at first
Each lesson has a short read, a worked example on an invented farm and three quick questions. Finish them all for an optional certificate of completion. Free, no sign-up, not nationally accredited.
Want this done on your own figures?
The course explains how it works. If you'd rather have it done on your farm's real numbers, that's what our Farm Optimiser is for.
Sources
- MLA, Cost of production calculator: southern beef case study
- AWI and MLA, Making More From Sheep, cost of production booklet
- Beef Central, 2026 Australian Beef Report: what separates the top 25pc from the rest
- Australian Pork Limited, submission to the Productivity Commission inquiry into government drought support
- NSW DPIRD, Performance, Data and Insights 2025: Pork
- MLA, Understanding dressing percentage (fact sheet)
Talk to Nick about your next bank review
We work with farm businesses Australia-wide by phone and video, with regular farm visits on the east coast. Get in touch for a no-obligation chat about what you need and what it would cost.