CropChoices decision-making tool

Overview

The CropChoice$ computer program helps you calculate expected total margins and probabilities based on your knowledge of soil and moisture conditions, along with long term yield and price expectations.

The program allows you to:

• create a 'base' cropping plan, then compare it to other different scenarios
• choose a plan that works for your operation by looking at forecasted margins and their probability of success

Features

• This program uses the most current crop insurance and crop cost information.
• At release time, "insurance coverage prices" for potatoes and sugar beets was not available. As a result, the 2022 price was used. This version uses the 2023 Spring Insurance Prices from Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC). This may affect your insured crop plan results but should still give reasonable estimates.
• Uses "worst-best-most likely" values for prices and yields.
• Presents contribution margins and gross margins in easy to understand statements, tables and graphs
• Evaluates the effects of different risk management strategies, such as adjusting your crop mix, purchasing crop insurance, and renegotiating your land rental agreements.
• CropChoice$ is based on yields and prices from real Alberta farms as well as crop insurance premiums and coverage levels provided by AFSC.

What's new in this version

• CropChoice$ Version 5.50 for 2023 contains updated cost profiles and crop insurance information.
• Version 5.50 cannot be used to analyze the option of purchasing spring price endorsement because that program is discontinued.
• Regional benchmark costs of production have been updated where available. For best results enter your own production costs – they best reflect what happens on your farm.
• You will be able to enter up to 32 fields in each scenario and compare 8 cropping scenarios in this version.
• Files that were saved on previous versions can be opened and the new changes will be incorporated into the analysis.

User guide

Download the CropChoice$ User Guide (PDF, 622 KB)

Acknowledgements

CropChoice$ was produced by the Economics Section. We very much appreciate the excellent support in resources and expertise we received from our partners: the Agriculture & Food Council through its Innovation in Agri-business Management Fund, and the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC).

Disclaimer

CropChoice$ should not be used for financial forecasting outside Alberta. CropChoice$ does not deal with catastrophic events such as total crop failure. CropChoice$ tends to under estimate the value of crop insurance. CropChoice$ does not handle all crops or farm enterprises. CropChoice$ does not consider balance sheet information or non-cash fixed costs such as depreciation. CropChoice$ does not deal with AgriStability and AgriInvest.

Agreement

By downloading this software, you are agreeing to be bound by the terms and conditions of this agreement as set out below. If you do not agree to be bound, do not download this software.

• The software and any written materials that might accompany the electronic version of CropChoice$ ("written materials") are proprietary to and all rights except those expressly given herein remain with His Majesty the King in right of Alberta ("Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation").
• The software and written materials are protected by Canadian copyright law and international treaty provisions.
• You are hereby authorized to transfer the software to a single system.
• You may not copy written materials.
• You may not rent or lease the software but you may transfer all of your interest in it, accompanied by written materials, if you retain no copies and the recipient agrees to the terms of this agreement.
• You may not reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or create derivative works from the software.
• In no event will Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation be liable to you for any claims, costs, losses or damages, including without limitation, lost profits or lost data arising out of the use or inability to use the software or any data or any advice supplied therein.

Sign up for updates

Fill out the online form below to get future updates about the program.

By clicking the submit button below the form you accept the above terms and conditions.

Download software

Step 1.

Check system requirements.

The estimated CropChoice$ file size is 16 MB. To use the software you will need:

• Windows 2000, XP, Vista or 10

Step 2.

Download the software:

• You are about to download CropChoice$ version 5.50. Remember to remove older versions from your computer before installing it.
• Click the button below to download the zipped file to your computer. You will be prompted to choose a location on your computer and save the zipped file.

Download software

Step 3.

Run the CropChoice$ program:

• On your computer, double-click  AGI-CropChoice2023.zip to unzip the application file.
• Double-click CropChoice$5.50 to Extract all file first to run the program. On an older computer, CropChoice$ may take a few minutes to open because of large internal data files.

Contact

Connect with the Economics Section:

Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
Phone: 780-422-4056
Email: [email protected]