Assessing and Improving Your Farm Cash Flow
Fact Sheet 541
What Is Liquidity?
Liquidity refers to the ability of your farm
to generate enough cash to meet financial
obligations as they come due without disrupt-
ing the normal operation of the farm
business. Figure 1 illustrates this concept.
Cash flows into the business from various
sources such as crop and livestock sales, other
farm receipts, sale of capital assets, nonfarm
receipts, and borrowed money. You use this
money to meet financial obligations like
production expenses, capital expenditures,
loan payments, and family living expendi-
tures. Inflows and outflows seldom coincide
with each other. Consequently, farm managers
need to manage a liquidity or cash reserve to
prevent cash shortages from disrupting
normal farm business operations and to
prevent noninterest-earning cash reserves
from building up.
Cash Inflows
• Crop, livestock, and livestock product sales,
the primary source of cash for your farm
business, are critical to maintaining
the liquidity reserve of the farm busi-
ness. Some enterprises, such as a dairy,
generate a relatively even flow of cash
into the farm business over the produc-
tion year. Other enterprises like corn or
feeder livestock result in sporadic cash
inflows as sales are lumped into relative-
ly few transactions during the course of
the production period.
• Other farm receipts often constitute a
substantial cash inflow to your farm
business. Typical items include payments
from participation in government com-
modity programs, income from custom
work performed, and co-op dividends.
• Nonfarm receipts include items such as
income from an off-farm job, cash
infusion from nonfarm savings and
investments, interest earned on nonfarm
investments, and capital provided by
outside investors.
Figure 1. Farm Business Liquidity. (Cash flow)
Source: Cash Flow Planning and Management, Publication 933.
Agricultural Extension Service: University of Tennessee, October
1983.
• Sale of capital assets include the sporadic
cash inflows from the sale of land,
buildings, machinery, breeding livestock,
and tools.
• Borrowed money is shown in Figure 1
as a cash inflow entering the liquidity
reserve from the side rather than the top.
Borrowed money is often considered a
residual source of cash used to maintain
your liquidity reserve when cash out-
flows exceed the sometimes sporadic
inflows of the four sources mentioned
previously. Borrowed money can take
the form of short-term loans to cover
operating costs, intermediate-term loans
for assets such as machinery and live-
stock, or long-term loans such as farm
mortgages on land and buildings.
Cash Outflows
• Production expenses constitute a relatively
large draw on your liquidity reserve.
These expenses include seed, fertilizer,
chemicals, feed, hired labor, repairs and
others. If you fail to maintain the liquidity
reserve to meet these expenses, your farm
production could immediately decrease
or you could pay a bigger interest on
borrowed money.
• Capital expenditures include cash outlays
for replacing and adding machinery and
breeding livestock, and purchase of
land and buildings. These outlays are
important for maintaining and increas-
ing the growth of your farm business.
These cash outflows are sporadic and
often involve large amounts of money.
Consequently, you need to carefully
plan to ensure a liquidity reserve to meet
these expenditures.
• Loan payments on borrowed money can
be made when cash inflows from non-
borrowed sources exceed cash outflows.
Consider this when formulating your
loan payment schedules.
• Family living expenditures are sometimes
overlooked as being secondary to the
other cash outflows. Actually, certain
basic family living expenses must be
covered as indicated by the fact that
money earmarked for other uses in the
farm business sometimes finds its way
into the family budget.
How Do I Use a Cash
Flow Statement to Monitor
Liquidity?
The best way to maintain your liquidity
reserve is through cash flow planning. The
tool used in this process is the “Cash Flow
Statement.” It records the timing and size of
cash inflows and outflows that occur over a
given accounting period, normally one year.
The accounting period is broken down into
smaller periods, usually months.
You normally keep two kinds of cash flow
statements for each accounting period: pro-
jected and actual. The projected cash flow
statement is completed at the beginning of
the accounting period and projects expected
cash inflows and outflows for the period to
estimate the liquidity reserve or ending cash
balance for each month. If the ending cash
balance is short in any month, you can make
plans for borrowing or setting up a line of
credit.
As the accounting period progresses, keep
an actual cash flow statement to record cash
transactions as they take place. Then com-
pare the actual cash flow statement with the
projected cash flow statement to see if things
are going as planned, to devise remedies for
solving previously unforeseen problems, or to
take advantage of opportunities not
anticipated. At the end of the accounting
period, use the actual cash flow statement to
estimate the projected cash flow statement
for the next accounting period. The formats
for cash flow statements vary but most con-
tain similar information. Table 1 shows an
example of a projected cash flow statement.
Blank cash flow statements are also included
for your use.
The sample projected cash flow statement
summarizes monthly cash inflows and
outflows for the fictitious Whitmer farm
for one year. The first column lists the trans-
actions. The second column summarizes
the total cash inflows and outflows from the
previous year. The next twelve columns
project the monthly cash inflows and out-
2
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flows for the coming year. The last column
totals the monthly projections. The main
categories of entries are: cash inflows, cash
operating expenses, other cash outflows, cash
flow summary, and loan balances end
of period.
Cash Inflows
The Whitmer farm produces corn and
soybeans. Some of the corn is used to feed
purchased feeder pigs. The remaining corn
and soybeans are sold. The farm receives
subsidy payments from participation in
government commodity programs. The
owner is also employed in a part-time off-
farm job during the winter. The cash inflow
section shows that during the previous year
the Whitmers generated $139,510 (line 7)
from these various sources. Their total pro-
jected cash inflow for the year is estimated at
$146,770 (line 7).
Cash Operating Expenses
The Whitmerses’ cash operating expenses
last year total $85,390 (line 21). Expenses are
projected for the coming year based on last
year’s figures, expected price changes, and
any changes in production that are expected
for the coming year. Their total cash operat-
ing expenses for the year are projected to be
$89,600 (line 21).
Other Cash Outflows
In March, the Whitmers plan to replace a
tractor. With a trade-in allowance on the old
tractor, the cash “boot” of the new tractor will
be $29,700 (line 22). The Whitmers project
family withdrawals to be $1,300 a month
(line 23). Taxes of $4,200 (line 24) are
projected to be paid in March. On lines 25
and 26, the intermediate loan principal and
interest payments are listed for April and
October. Principal and interest on the farm
mortgage are paid in February and listed
on lines 27 and 28. These cash outflows are
totaled with cash operating expenses on line
29. The total cash outflow, including cash
operating expenses for the year, is projected
to be $163,705, compared with $117,305 for
the previous year.
Cash Flow Summary
The cash flow summary is important
because it projects the Whitmerses’ liquidity
reserve for the coming year, which determines
when cash surpluses and shortfalls might take
place. New borrowings and loan payments
can then be made to maintain a liquid-
ity reserve—ending cash balance—for each
month. The Whitmers wish to maintain a
liquidity reserve of at least $1,500 at all times.
The cash flow summary shows how they
maintain this reserve (many farm managers
have a line of credit to reduce the liquidity
reserve or maintain the liquidity reserve in an
interest-bearing account).
The Whitmers begin with a January cash
balance of $1,500 (line 30), which is the end-
ing cash balance from the previous December.
They have cash inflows of $15,200 for January
(line 7) and cash outflows of $3,200 (line 29).
The difference of $12,000 is listed on line 31.
When added to the beginning balance, this
creates a cash surplus of $13,500 (line 32).
The Whitmers have an operating loan bal-
ance from the previous year and have decided
to use the cash surplus to pay off the $11,250
principal and $450 interest on this loan. This
will leave them with an $1,800 ending cash
balance for January (line 38), which becomes
the beginning cash balance for February.
In February, the difference in cash inflows
and outflows is $10,520. Adding this to the
$1,800 beginning cash balance results in a
February ending cash balance of $12,320.
Because the Whitmers know they will have a
cash shortfall in March, they plan to hold the
entire $12,320 to help cover this shortfall. In
March, cash outflows are projected to exceed
cash inflows by $37,545, mainly because
of the purchase of the new tractor. The
Whitmers plan to meet this shortfall by using
the surplus from February and by taking out
a machinery loan for $27,500 (line 34). This
will leave an ending cash balance of $2,275.
The Whitmers project their cash outflows
from April through June to exceed cash
inflows. They plan to maintain the $1,500
ending cash balance each month by
increasing the operating loan. Sale of
market hogs in July will create a cash surplus
for July and August. Another cash deficit in
September will be covered by an increase
✔
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Table 1. A cash flow statement of the Whitmer farm
Cash Flow Statement Name Whitmer Farm Projected for 19 91 Actual for 19 90 Date completed Jan. 1991
Period Last Year
Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
Totals
Cash Inflows
1. Crop sales
98,210 15,500 78,500 12,000 106,000
2. Livestock and livestock product sales
23,414 14,400 10,350 3,840 28,590
3. Government payments
12,786 6,700 2,280 8,980
4. Capital sales
2,300 0
5. Other farm income
0
6. Nonfarm income
2,800 800 800 800 800 3,200
7. Total cash inflow (Lines 1 thru 6)
139,510 15,200 23,000 3,80 0 0 0 10,350 0 0 82,340 12,000 800 146,770
Cash Operating Expenses
8. Seed
7,100 5,000 2,500 7,500
9. Fertilizer, lime, chemicals
25,800 21,500 5,500 27,000
10. Feed
3,750 800 600 800 700 800 1,100 4,800
11. Livestock purchased for resale
9,165 3,825 5,750 9,575
12. Vet, medicine, breeding fees
250 50 50 50 50 50 50 300
13. Fuel, oil, lubricants
4,25 350 350 350 450 500 500 900 500 250 4,150
14. Utilities
1,740 200 200 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 200 200 2,000
15. Repairs
2,740 100 100 300 300 500 500 200 200 300 400 200 100 3,200
16. Taxes, insurance
3,625 950 1,725 950 3,625
17. Hired labor
1,80 450 300 400 1,150
18. Rent, leases
13,500 0 13,500 13,500
19. Machine hire
10,500 10,500 10,500
20. Supplies, miscellaneous, others
2,115 400 150 150 150 150 150 400 150 150 150 150 150 2,300
21. Total cash operating expenses (Lines 8 thru 20)
85,390 1,900 450 5,425 5,600 27,400 7,50 1,500 1,000 9,425 2,950 26,200 700 89,600
Other Cash Outflows
22. Capital purchases
29,700 29,700
23. Family living
14,400 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 15,600
24. Other withdrawls and income taxes
1,475 4,200 4,200
25. Intermediate loan principal payments
3,600 1,850 8,250 10,100
26. Intermediate loan interest payments
1,710 875 2,900 3,775
27. Long-term loan principal payments
2,750 2,900 2,900
28. Long-term loan interest payments
7,980 7,830 7,830
29. Total cash outflow (Lines 21+22 thru 28)
117,305 3,200 12,480 40,625 9,625 28,700 8,350 2,800 2,300 10,725 15,400 27,500 2,000 163,705
Cash Flow Summary
30. Beginning cash balance
1,500 1,800 12,320 2,275 1,500 1,500 1,500 9,50 6,750 1,500 18,200 2,700
31. Inflows - outflows (Lines 7-29)
12,000 10,520 (545) (625) (700) 8,350 7,550 (300) (725) 66,940 (500) (200)
32. Cash position (Lines 30+31)
13,500 12,320 (225) (350) (200) (850) 9,50 6,750 (975) 68,440 2,700 1,500
33. New borrowing: operation
8,850 28,700 8,350 5,475
34. New borrowing: intermediate
27,500
35. New borrowing: long-term
36. Operating loan principal payments
11,250 47,890
37. Operating loan interest payments
450 2,350
38. Ending cash balance (Lines 32+33+34+35-36-37)
1,800 12,320 2,275 1,500 1,500 1,500 9,50 6,750 1,500 18,200 2,700 1,500
Loan Balances End of Period
39. Operating (previous period line 39+33-36)
11,250 0 0 0 8,850 37,550 45,900 45,900 45,900 51,375 3,485 3,485 3,485
40. Intermediate (previous period line 40+34-25)
17,000 17,000 17,000 44,500 42,650 42,650 42,650 42,650 42,650 42,650 34,400 34,400 34,400
41. Long-term (previous period line 41+35-27)
88,700 88,700 85,800 85,800 85,800 85,800 88,800 85,800 85,800 85,800 85,800 85,800 85,800
Table 1. A cash flow statement of the Whitmer farm
Cash Flow Statement Name Whitmer Farm Projected for 19 91 Actual for 19 90 Date completed Jan. 1991
Period Last Year
Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
Totals
Cash Inflows
1. Crop sales
98,210 15,500 78,500 12,000 106,000
2. Livestock and livestock product sales
23,414 14,400 10,350 3,840 28,590
3. Government payments
12,786 6,700 2,280 8,980
4. Capital sales
2,300 0
5. Other farm income
0
6. Nonfarm income
2,800 800 800 800 800 3,200
7. Total cash inflow (Lines 1 thru 6)
139,510 15,200 23,000 3,80 0 0 0 10,350 0 0 82,340 12,000 800 146,770
Cash Operating Expenses
8. Seed
7,100 5,000 2,500 7,500
9. Fertilizer, lime, chemicals
25,800 21,500 5,500 27,000
10. Feed
3,750 800 600 800 700 800 1,100 4,800
11. Livestock purchased for resale
9,165 3,825 5,750 9,575
12. Vet, medicine, breeding fees
250 50 50 50 50 50 50 300
13. Fuel, oil, lubricants
4,25 350 350 350 450 500 500 900 500 250 4,150
14. Utilities
1,740 200 200 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 200 200 2,000
15. Repairs
2,740 100 100 300 300 500 500 200 200 300 400 200 100 3,200
16. Taxes, insurance
3,625 950 1,725 950 3,625
17. Hired labor
1,80 450 300 400 1,150
18. Rent, leases
13,500 0 13,500 13,500
19. Machine hire
10,500 10,500 10,500
20. Supplies, miscellaneous, others
2,115 400 150 150 150 150 150 400 150 150 150 150 150 2,300
21. Total cash operating expenses (Lines 8 thru 20)
85,390 1,900 450 5,425 5,600 27,400 7,50 1,500 1,000 9,425 2,950 26,200 700 89,600
Other Cash Outflows
22. Capital purchases
29,700 29,700
23. Family living
14,400 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 15,600
24. Other withdrawls and income taxes
1,475 4,200 4,200
25. Intermediate loan principal payments
3,600 1,850 8,250 10,100
26. Intermediate loan interest payments
1,710 875 2,900 3,775
27. Long-term loan principal payments
2,750 2,900 2,900
28. Long-term loan interest payments
7,980 7,830 7,830
29. Total cash outflow (Lines 21+22 thru 28)
117,305 3,200 12,480 40,625 9,625 28,700 8,350 2,800 2,300 10,725 15,400 27,500 2,000 163,705
Cash Flow Summary
30. Beginning cash balance
1,500 1,800 12,320 2,275 1,500 1,500 1,500 9,50 6,750 1,500 18,200 2,700
31. Inflows - outflows (Lines 7-29)
12,000 10,520 (545) (625) (700) 8,350 7,550 (300) (725) 66,940 (500) (200)
32. Cash position (Lines 30+31)
13,500 12,320 (225) (350) (200) (850) 9,50 6,750 (975) 68,440 2,700 1,500
33. New borrowing: operation
8,850 28,700 8,350 5,475
34. New borrowing: intermediate
27,500
35. New borrowing: long-term
36. Operating loan principal payments
11,250 47,890
37. Operating loan interest payments
450 2,350
38. Ending cash balance (Lines 32+33+34+35-36-37)
1,800 12,320 2,275 1,500 1,500 1,500 9,50 6,750 1,500 18,200 2,700 1,500
Loan Balances End of Period
39. Operating (previous period line 39+33-36)
11,250 0 0 0 8,850 37,550 45,900 45,900 45,900 51,375 3,485 3,485 3,485
40. Intermediate (previous period line 40+34-25)
17,000 17,000 17,000 44,500 42,650 42,650 42,650 42,650 42,650 42,650 34,400 34,400 34,400
41. Long-term (previous period line 41+35-27)
88,700 88,700 85,800 85,800 85,800 85,800 88,800 85,800 85,800 85,800 85,800 85,800 85,800
5
in the operating loan. A cash surplus from
crop sales in October will be used to reduce
the operating loan and carry the Whitmers
through November and December. They end
the year with an ending cash balance
of $1,500.
Lines 33 to 35 list new borrowings for
operating and for intermediate- and long-
term loans. Lines 36 and 37 list payments of
operating loan principal and interest. The
question is sometimes asked why principal
and interest payments for intermediate- and
long-term loans are included in the “other
cash outflows” section rather than the “cash
flow summary” section. The reason is that
intermediate- and long-term loan payments
are usually scheduled for specific months
when the loans are made, while operating
loan payments remain flexible. In fact, using
the “cash flow summary” in the cash flow
statement is the best way to schedule operat-
ing loan payments. The operating loan acts as
the primary tool for maintaining the level of
cash reserve. For farms that operate on equity
capital rather than operating loans, the cash
flow statement determines when cash sur-
pluses are available for alternative uses.
Loan Balances End of Period
The final section of the cash flow statement
is the “loan balances end of period.” This
section keeps a running total of operating
and intermediate- and long-term loan prin-
cipal balances. On the Whitmer farm, loan
principal balances at the end of the previous
year are $11,250 (line 39) for operating loans,
$17,000 (line 40) for intermediate loans, and
$88,700 (line 41) for long-term loans. These
balances are projected to fluctuate through
the coming year as payments are made and
new money is borrowed.
For example, the operating loan balance
is decreased in January by subtracting the
loan payment of $11,250 and adding any
additional borrowings (in the example there
are none). These calculations continue for
each successive month. On the Whitmer
farm the operating loan balance increases in
April through June and also in September. In
October, it is reduced below the January start-
ing level. Intermediate- and long-term loan
balances are projected to fluctuate through
the year. The intermediate loan balance ends
almost twice as high as the beginning balance
because of the tractor purchase. The long-
term loan balance ends at a lower level than
the beginning balance.
Hints for Cash Flow Planning
The example projected a cash flow
statement for the coming year. As the year
progresses, the Whitmers will fill out an
actual cash flow statement for each month,
listing inflows and cash operating expenses
and other cash outflows. They will then fill
out the cash flow summary section showing
actual loan balances in the “loan balances
end of period” section. The actual cash flow
statement can then be compared with their
projections to improve the management of
the farm. Thus, the actual cash flow state-
ment from this year can be used to project
the cash flow statement for next year. By
doing this, the Whitmers will always know
that they have a cash reserve and will not be
surprised by cash shortfalls.
Projecting a cash flow statement for the
first time is sometimes difficult. Farm records
are the first place you look for information
when you’re completing the cash flow
statement (see Fact Sheet 542, “Developing
and Improving Your Farm Records”). Your
previous year’s actual entries from farm
records, tax forms, or checkbook registers
are useful sources of information. Good crop
and livestock budgets provide necessary
information for projecting future cash flows
(see Fact Sheet 545, “Enterprise Budgeting in
Farm Management Decisionmaking”).
Also, consider changes in the farm business
that are expected to take place the coming
year, such as crop rotations, new livestock
enterprises, or sales and purchases of capital
assets. Your first cash flow projection may
not be as accurate as you would like, but it
will provide important planning information.
As cash flow statements are regularly
developed, projections in future years will
become more accurate.
6
Are There Ways to Solve
Cash Flow Problems?
Some Helpful Suggestions
Most farms at one time or another
experience cash flow problems. A cash flow
statement is one of the best ways to pinpoint
these problems, and there are ways to deal
with them. No one strategy will work at all
times. Rather, a combination of strategies
is the basis for solving cash flow problems.
However, in adopting methods to remedy
these problems, be sure the strategies used do
not adversely affect profitability. Treating cash
flow problems at the expense of profitability
is a short-term remedy that may have bad
long-term effects.
Improving profitability. Cash flow
problems may be the symptom of the greater
problem of low profitability. In approaching
cash flow problems, first analyze profits and
profitability (see Fact Sheet 539, “Assessing
and Improving Your Farm Profitability”).
Increasing profits and profitability is often the
best way to remedy cash flow problems. Once
the farm is profitable, you can then
concentrate on cash flow problems.
Identifying the problems beforehand.
One way you can prevent cash flow problems
is to have cash flow statements so you can
identify problems before they occur. This
gives you time to alter your plans and remedy
the problems by timing cash inflows and cash
outflows, if you want to maintain a liquidity
reserve.
Changing production plans. Carefully
look at the combination of enterprises on
the farm. Perhaps another crop rotation or
livestock enterprise would increase cash flow
and allow you to maintain profitability at the
same time. For example, introducing legume
hay into a rotation may bring in some needed
cash during the summer months. You can
maintain profitability through lower nitrogen
fertilizer costs for subsequent crops.
Managing expenditures. An effective way
to improve your cash flow is through cost
control. Frequently check to see if levels of
inputs are economical. Are you using the best
seeds and seeding rates? Is fertilization at an
economically favorable level? Can you reduce
the use of commercial fertilizer through
better management of livestock wastes?
Will integrated pest management instead
of routine spraying reduce pesticide costs?
Can you lower purchased feed costs through
improved management of forage costs and
farm-produced concentrates? Is feed
conversion being emphasized in forage
testing and balancing feed rations?
Can you cut down on veterinary and
medicine bills through careful management
of herd health? Can you manage labor better
to decrease expensive capital outlays? Is there
better machinery that would improve labor
efficiency? Can you cut down on machin-
ery costs through reduced tillage methods?
Can repair bills be reduced through onfarm
repairs? Can you lower interest costs through
better loan rates or timing of loans?
Scrutinize every cost to see if you can
make reductions without adversely affecting
profitability.
Improving marketing plans. For non-
perishable commodities, you have some
flexibility in timing sales. Improving farm
profitability should be your main goal in
formulating a marketing plan. However,
you should also consider cash needs in
timing sales.
Leasing or renting. The down payments
and loan payments associated with
purchasing land, buildings, and machinery
sometimes put a heavy burden on cash flow.
Leasing or rental payments on these may be
considerably lower and will free cash that you
need for other obligations. However, be sure
to assess the impact of these leasing and
rental arrangements on the profitability of
your farm operation.
Reducing living expenses. Carefully
review your family budget. Record all
family expenditures. Many families are sur-
prised by how much they spend for personal
living expenses. Distinguish between
necessities and wants. Postpone unneeded
family expenditures. Base family spending on
the performance of the farm business and/or
off-farm income. Be realistic in determining the
amount of family withdrawals the farm
can support.
Taking an off-farm job. One or both
spouses could seek part-time or full-time
employment off the farm. More and more,
7
Cash Flow Statement Name Projected for 20 Actual for 20 Date completed
Period Last Year
Totals
Cash Inflows
1. Crop sales
2. Livestock and livestock product sales
3. Government payments
4. Capital sales
5. Other farm income
6. Nonfarm income
7. Total cash inflow (Lines 1 thru 6)
Cash Operating Expenses
8. Seed
9. Fertilizer, lime, chemicals
10. Feed
11. Livestock purchased for resale
12. Vet, medicine, breeding fees
13. Fuel, oil, lubricants
14. Utilities
15. Repairs
16. Taxes, insurance
17. Hired Labor
18. Rent, leases
19. Machine hire
20. Supplies, miscellaneous, others
21. Total cash operating expenses (Lines 8 thru 20)
Other Cash Outflows
22. Capital purchases
23. Family living
24. Other withdrawls and income taxes
25. Intermediate loan principal payments
26. Intermediate loan interest payments
27. Long-term loan principal payments
28. Long-term loan interest payments
29. Total cash outflow (Lines 21+22 thru 28)
Cash Flow Summary
30. Beginning cash balance
31. Inflows - outflows (Lines 7-29)
32. Cash position (Lines 30+31)
33. New borrowing: operation
34. New borrowing: intermediate
35. New borrowing: long-term
36. Operating loan principal payments
37. Operating loan interest payments
38. Ending cash balance (Lines 32+33+34+35-36-37)
Loan Balances End of Period
39. Operating (previous period line 39+33-36)
40. Intermediate (previous period line 40+34-25)
41. Long-term (previous period line 41+35-27)
8
Cash Flow Statement Name Projected for 20 Actual for 20 Date completed
Period Last Year
Totals
Cash Inflows
1. Crop sales
2. Livestock and livestock product sales
3. Government payments
4. Capital sales
5. Other farm income
6. Nonfarm income
7. Total cash inflow (Lines 1 thru 6)
Cash Operating Expenses
8. Seed
9. Fertilizer, lime, chemicals
10. Feed
11. Livestock purchased for resale
12. Vet, medicine, breeding fees
13. Fuel, oil, lubricants
14. Utilities
15. Repairs
16. Taxes, insurance
17. Hired Labor
18. Rent, leases
19. Machine hire
20. Supplies, miscellaneous, others
21. Total cash operating expenses (Lines 8 thru 20)
Other Cash Outflows
22. Capital purchases
23. Family living
24. Other withdrawls and income taxes
25. Intermediate loan principal payments
26. Intermediate loan interest payments
27. Long-term loan principal payments
28. Long-term loan interest payments
29. Total cash outflow (Lines 21+22 thru 28)
Cash Flow Summary
30. Beginning cash balance
31. Inflows - outflows (Lines 7-29)
32. Cash position (Lines 30+31)
33. New borrowing: operation
34. New borrowing: intermediate
35. New borrowing: long-term
36. Operating loan principal payments
37. Operating loan interest payments
38. Ending cash balance (Lines 32+33+34+35-36-37)
Loan Balances End of Period
39. Operating (previous period line 39+33-36)
40. Intermediate (previous period line 40+34-25)
41. Long-term (previous period line 41+35-27)
9
Cash Flow Statement Name Projected for 20 Actual for 20 Date completed
Period Last Year
Totals
Cash Inflows
1. Crop sales
2. Livestock and livestock product sales
3. Government payments
4. Capital sales
5. Other farm income
6. Nonfarm income
7. Total cash inflow (Lines 1 thru 6)
Cash Operating Expenses
8. Seed
9. Fertilizer, lime, chemicals
10. Feed
11. Livestock purchased for resale
12. Vet, medicine, breeding fees
13. Fuel, oil, lubricants
14. Utilities
15. Repairs
16. Taxes, insurance
17. Hired Labor
18. Rent, leases
19. Machine hire
20. Supplies, miscellaneous, others
21. Total cash operating expenses (Lines 8 thru 20)
Other Cash Outflows
22. Capital purchases
23. Family living
24. Other withdrawls and income taxes
25. Intermediate loan principal payments
26. Intermediate loan interest payments
27. Long-term loan principal payments
28. Long-term loan interest payments
29. Total cash outflow (Lines 21+22 thru 28)
Cash Flow Summary
30. Beginning cash balance
31. Inflows - outflows (Lines 7-29)
32. Cash position (Lines 30+31)
33. New borrowing: operation
34. New borrowing: intermediate
35. New borrowing: long-term
36. Operating loan principal payments
37. Operating loan interest payments
38. Ending cash balance (Lines 32+33+34+35-36-37)
Loan Balances End of Period
39. Operating (previous period line 39+33-36)
40. Intermediate (previous period line 40+34-25)
41. Long-term (previous period line 41+35-27)
10
Cash Flow Statement Name Projected for 20 Actual for 20 Date completed
Period Last Year
Totals
Cash Inflows
1. Crop sales
2. Livestock and livestock product sales
3. Government payments
4. Capital sales
5. Other farm income
6. Nonfarm income
7. Total cash inflow (Lines 1 thru 6)
Cash Operating Expenses
8. Seed
9. Fertilizer, lime, chemicals
10. Feed
11. Livestock purchased for resale
12. Vet, medicine, breeding fees
13. Fuel, oil, lubricants
14. Utilities
15. Repairs
16. Taxes, insurance
17. Hired Labor
18. Rent, leases
19. Machine hire
20. Supplies, miscellaneous, others
21. Total cash operating expenses (Lines 8 thru 20)
Other Cash Outflows
22. Capital purchases
23. Family living
24. Other withdrawls and income taxes
25. Intermediate loan principal payments
26. Intermediate loan interest payments
27. Long-term loan principal payments
28. Long-term loan interest payments
29. Total cash outflow (Lines 21+22 thru 28)
Cash Flow Summary
30. Beginning cash balance
31. Inflows - outflows (Lines 7-29)
32. Cash position (Lines 30+31)
33. New borrowing: operation
34. New borrowing: intermediate
35. New borrowing: long-term
36. Operating loan principal payments
37. Operating loan interest payments
38. Ending cash balance (Lines 32+33+34+35-36-37)
Loan Balances End of Period
39. Operating (previous period line 39+33-36)
40. Intermediate (previous period line 40+34-25)
41. Long-term (previous period line 41+35-27)
11
12
wives are taking an active role in the farm
business operation, thus giving additional flex-
ibility in deciding who can work off the farm.
Carefully consider any additional expenses
related to off-farm employment such as
transportation, clothing, and child care.
Refinancing. Cash flow problems are
sometimes caused by a poor balance of
short-, intermediate-, and long-term debts
on the farm. Some farmers use short-term
loans to finance intermediate- and long-term
assets. Normally, operating loans are used to
purchase variable inputs such as seed, feed,
fertilizer, and chemicals. The loans are then
paid back as the commodities are sold.
However, don’t use operating loans for
intermediate- or long-term assets such as
equipment, breeding livestock, buildings, and
land because the receipts from one production
period cannot be expected to cover the costs
of assets that last for several production
periods. The idea of self-liquidating loans
suggests that a proper financing program
for loans would match the input’s life and
pattern of earnings with the length of repay-
ment schedule on the loan used to obtain the
input. A farm implement that will last 5 to
7 years should be financed for 5 to 7 years.
Financing it for a shorter period may cause
you cash flow problems.
If a drought year results in insufficient
receipts to cover the operating loan, rolling
this loan over to the next year may cause
cash flow problems. Perhaps you should
refinance the loan over a longer period so the
cash shortfall can be absorbed over several
production periods.
Refinancing can effectively deal with cash
flow problems but sometimes it may just be
buying time for you. If the farm is not
profitable, refinancing is an indication that
the problem is just being prolonged.
Liquidating assets. Selling your assets is
usually a more drastic measure for dealing
with cash flow problems; however, it may
be justified. Sell unprofitable assets first.
Excessive personal assets (boats, campers) and
other assets such as timber, replacement stock,
unused machinery, and unproductive land are
good candidates. Then consider downsizing
the operation through selling off breeding
livestock, machinery, and land, but only after
doing an in-depth long-term financial analysis
of the impact of these corrective actions.
When selling assets, do not overlook the
income tax consequences of capital gains.
Also, do not sell assets without discussing it
with creditors who have an interest in those
assets.
Maintaining credit reserves. Manage debt
to maintain a credit reserve. If you borrow to
the limit and other cash inflows stop, then
your liquidity reserve will dry up also. Bills
will accumulate and creditors will line up at
your door. When you’re experiencing cash
flow problems, let your creditors know what
you are doing to solve the problems. Avoiding
creditors may just aggravate the problem.
Can Computer Software Help
with Farm Management?
The financial management of a farm is
complex and time consuming. You need
time to gather and organize data and for-
mulate cash flow statements. Computer
software is available that can be a big help
to you. Maryland Cooperative Extension
offers farmers computer assistance for cash
flow planning through the FINPACK farm
financial planning and analysis program.
This program, developed by the University of
Minnesota, does a complete financial analysis
of your farm in addition to cash flow
planning. It has been used on over 40,000
farms in 40 states. The FINFLO and FINTRAN
components of this program provide a
comprehensive cash flow analysis of the farm
operation. To find out more about this
program, see your Extension agent at your
local county Extension office.
P1998
Assessing and Improving Farm Cash Flow
by
Dale M. Johnson
Extension Economist
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Billy V. Lessley
Professor
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
James C. Hanson
Associate professor
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of Maryland, College Park,
and local governments. Bruce L. Gardner, Interim Director of Maryland Cooperative Extension, University of Maryland.
The University of Maryland is equal opportunity. The University’s policies, programs, and activities are in conformance with pertinent Federal and State laws and regulations on nondiscrimi-
nation regarding race, color, religion, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or disability. Inquiries regarding compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990; or related legal requirements
should be directed to the Director of Human Resources Management, Office of the Dean, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Symons Hall, College Park, MD 20742.
