182 MISC. PUBLICATION 5 4 0, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



The size of the dehydration plant is a factor determining the de- 

 gree of detail used in prorating each item. In a small plant, too much 

 attention to such details is unwise. In a large plant, considerable de- 

 tail is warranted. 



Estimated Processing Costs in Vegetable Dehydration 



Table 19 presents a partial summary of estimated processing costs 

 in vegetable dehydration, and table 20 shows labor cost per dry pound. 

 The cost elements included are raw material, direct and indirect labor, 

 packaging, and utilities. 



Table 19. — Estimated costs per dry pound of dehydrated vegetables, exclusive of 

 overhead costs and profits, in a dehydration plant handling 50 tons per day, 

 unprepared basis 



Item 



Table 

 beets 



Cabbage 



Carrots 



Onions 



Potatoes 



Ruta- 

 bagas or 

 turnips 



Sweet- 

 potatoes 



Form in which prepared 



Pounds per 5-gallon container. _ 

 Assumed overall shrinkage ratio. 



Slices 

 8 

 13 to 1 



Shreds 



7 



20 to 1 



Cubes 



17 



11 to 1 



Slices 



12 

 11 to 1 



Strips 

 10 

 7tol 



Slices 

 12 

 10. 5 to 1 



Slices 

 12 

 5 to 1 



Processing costs per dry pound: 

 Labor, direct and indirect 1 2 



Containers 3 



Utilities * 



Cents 

 10. 0-14. 5 

 5.0 

 1-2 



Cents 

 10. 5-16. 5 

 5.5 

 1-2 



Cents 



8. 0-11. 5 

 2.5 

 1-2 



Cents 



9.0-13.0 

 3.5 

 1-2 



Cents 



6. 0-10. 

 4.0 

 1-2 



Cents 



7.5-11.0 

 3.5 

 1-2 



Cents 

 4. 0-6. 

 3.5 

 1-2 



Total 



16. 0-21. 5 



17. 0-24. 



11.5-16.0 



13. 5-18. 5 



11.0-16.0 



12. 0-16. 5 



8. 5-11. 5 



R aw material costs per dr y pound : 

 Cost at $20 per ton.. .. ... 



13.0 

 16.5 

 19.5 

 23.0 

 26.0 

 29.5 



20.0 

 25.0 

 30.0 



35.0 

 40.0 

 45.0 



11.0 

 14.0 

 16.5 

 19.5 

 22.0 

 ■ 25.0 



11.0 

 14.0 

 16.5 

 19.5 

 22.0 

 25.0 



7.0 

 9.0 

 10.5 

 12.5 

 14.0 

 16.0 



10.5 

 13.0 



16.0 

 18.5 

 -21,0 

 23.5 



5.0 



Cost at $25 per ton.. _ .. . 



fi.5 



Cost at $30 per ton 



7.5 



Cost aj $35 per ton 



9.0 



Cost at $40 per ton ... 



10.0 





11.5 







Total costs per dry pound not 

 including overhead costs or 

 profit: ' 

 Raw material at $20 per ton . 

 Raw material at $25 per ton . 

 Raw material at $30 per ton 

 Raw material at $35 per ton. 

 Raw material at $40 per ton . 

 Raw material at $45 per ton. 



29. 0-34. 5 

 32. 5-38. 

 35. 5-41. 

 39. 0-44. 5 

 42. 0-47. 5 

 45.5-51.0 



38. 0-44. 

 43. 0-49. 

 48. 0-54. 

 53. 0-59. 

 58. 0-64. 

 63. 0-69. 



22. 5-27. 

 25. 5-30. 

 28. 0-32. 5 

 31. 0-35. 5 

 33. 5-38. 

 36. 5-41. 



24. 5-29. 5 

 27. 5-32. 5 

 30. 0-35. 

 33. 0-38. 

 35. 5-40. 5 

 38. 5-43. 5 



18. 0-23. 

 20. 0-25. 

 21. 5-26. 5 

 23. 5-28. 5 

 25. 0-30. 

 27. 0-32. 



22. 5-27. 

 25. 0-29. 5 

 28. 0-32. 5 

 30. 5-35. 

 33. 0-37. 5 

 35. 5-40. 



13. 5-16. 5 

 15. 0-18. 

 16.0-19.0 



17. 5-20. 5 



18. 5-21. 5 

 20. 0-23. 



1 The low limit of labor cost is a summation of the low estimates for each individual operation, as shown in 

 table 18; it is very unlikely that any plant will operate with an absolute minimum of labor in all operations. 



2 See table 20 for cost details. 



3 The cost of packaging includes 25 cents for a single 5-gallon can and J30 cents ;for] the wire-bound wood 

 box holding 2 cans; the total per can is 40 cents. 



4 In natural gas areas, many plants are operating at a cost of less than 1 cent per dry pound for utilities: 

 Gas, electricity and water. Utilities may run considerably more than that amount in high-cost regions. 

 Sucn costs have been roughly estimated to range between 1 and 2 cents per dry pound. A more accurate 

 estimate is not warranted since the plant location, type of fuel, and operating procedures are not specified. 



Table 20. — Labor cost per dry pound in vegetable dehydration plants handling 

 50 tons per day, unprepared basis 



Vegetable 



Table beets 



Cabbage 



Carrots 



Onions 



Potatoes 



Rutabagas or turnips 

 Sweetpotatoes 



Out- 

 put 

 per 



hour, 

 dry 



basis i 



Lb. 

 320 

 210 



600 



Labor cost per hour 



Direct and supervisory 



Men 



Women 



Dol. Dot 



12. 75-18. 75 15. 60-22. 20 

 10. 50-15.00! 7.80-15 

 10.50-15.75 15.60-23 

 10. 50--15. 75| 19. 80-29. 40 

 10. 50-15. 75 22. 80-39. 60 

 395; 10. 50-15. 75! 15. 00-23. 40 

 830 10.50-15.75 18.60-29.40 



Fore- 

 man 



Dol. 

 1.25 

 1.25 

 1.25 

 1.25 

 1.25 

 1.25 

 1.25 



Fore- 

 wom- 

 an 



Total 



Dol. Dol. Dol. 



0. 85 30. 45-43. 05 2. 05-2. 55 

 19.55-31.85 2.05-2.55 

 .85i28.20-41.25 2.05-2. 55 

 .85 32.40-47.25 2.05-2.55 

 .85 35.40-57.45 2.05-2.55 

 .85 27.60-41.25 2.05-2.55 

 .85|31.20-47. 25 2. 05-2. 55 



Indirect 3 



Total 



Dol. 



32. 50-45. 60 

 21. 60-34. 40 

 30. 25-43. 80 

 34. 45-49. 80 

 37. 45-60. 00 

 29. 65-43. 80 



33. 25-49. 80 



Labor 



cost 



per dry 



pound 



Cts. 

 10. 0-14. 5 

 10.5-16.5 

 8.0-11.5 

 9. 0-13. 

 6. 0-10. 

 7.5-11.0 

 4. 0- 6. 



See footnotes on next page. 



