Knowing your yield per hectare (or per acre) is the single most important figure in arable farming. It tells you whether your variety, inputs and management are working, lets you compare fields and seasons, and underpins every gross-margin calculation. This calculator takes the two numbers you already know — total harvest quantity and field area — and instantly converts them into the yield unit you need, alongside a benchmark comparison and a seed-cost breakdown.
How it works
The core formula is deliberately simple:
Yield = Total harvest (kg) ÷ Area (ha)
Every input unit is first converted to a common base. Harvest quantities in tonnes, pounds or bushels are converted to kilograms using standard commodity weights (wheat and soybean bushels weigh 60 lb = 27.22 kg; corn bushels weigh 56 lb = 25.40 kg). Areas in acres or square metres are converted to hectares (1 ac = 0.404686 ha; 1 m² = 0.0001 ha). The division then gives yield in kg/ha, which is subsequently re-expressed in whichever output unit you select.
Output unit conversion factors
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| kg/ha | t/ha | 0.001 |
| kg/ha | lb/ac | 0.892179 |
| kg/ha | t/ac | 0.000404686 |
| kg/ha | bu/ac (wheat/soy) | 1 / (27.2155 x 2.47105) |
| kg/ha | bu/ac (corn) | 1 / (25.4012 x 2.47105) |
The benchmark comparison table uses FAO and USDA world-average data to show where your result sits on a spectrum from low to high for wheat, maize, rice, soybean, barley and potato. The economics section calculates gross revenue (harvest kg multiplied by your selling price) and seed cost (seed rate kg/ha multiplied by area multiplied by seed price per kg), giving a seed-only gross margin as a quick sanity check.
Worked example
A farmer harvests 120 tonnes of wheat from a 24-hectare field.
- Convert harvest to kg: 120 t x 1,000 = 120,000 kg
- Divide by area: 120,000 ÷ 24 = 5,000 kg/ha
- Convert to t/ha: 5,000 x 0.001 = 5.0 t/ha
- Convert to bu/ac: 5,000 / 27.2155 / 2.47105 = 74.3 bu/ac
At a seed rate of 150 kg/ha and seed price of £0.80/kg:
- Seed cost = 150 x 24 x 0.80 = £2,880
At a selling price of £0.22/kg:
- Revenue = 120,000 x 0.22 = £26,400
- Seed-only gross margin = 26,400 − 2,880 = £23,520
The world-average wheat yield is around 3,300 kg/ha, so 5,000 kg/ha is approximately 151% of the world average — a strong, above-average result.
Formula note
Yield is a ratio; it is not affected by whether you use metric or imperial units as long as you convert consistently. The calculator always passes through kg/ha as the canonical intermediate value to ensure all output conversions stay coherent. Bushel weights are fixed commodity standards set by the USDA and AHDB — they do not change with moisture content (which is accounted for separately during grading, not in this yield calculation).