Joint Products AND BY Products: Learning Outcomes
Joint Products AND BY Products: Learning Outcomes
Joint Products AND BY Products: Learning Outcomes
JOINT PRODUCTS
AND BY PRODUCTS
LEARNING OUTCOMES
gasoline, fuel oil, lubricants, paraffin, coal tar, asphalt and kerosene are all
produced from crude petroleum. These are known as joint products.
(ii) By-Products - These are defined as “products recovered from material
discarded in a main process, or from the production of some major products,
where the material value is to be considered at the time of severance from the
main product.” Thus by-products emerge as a result of processing operation of
another product or they are produced from the scrap or waste of materials of
a process. In short a by-product is a secondary or subsidiary product which
emanates as a result of manufacture of the main product.
The point at which they are separated from the main product or products is
known as split-off point. The expenses of processing are joint till the split –off
point.
Examples of by-products are molasses in the manufacture of sugar, tar,
ammonia and benzole obtained on carbonisation of coal and glycerin obtained
in the manufacture of soap.
Distinction between Joint-Product and By-Product - The main points of
distinction as apparent from the definitions of Joint Products and By-Products
are:
(a) Joint products are of equal importance whereas by-products are of small
economic value.
(b) Joint products are produced simultaneously but the by-products are
produced incidentally in addition to the main products.
(iii) Co-Products - Joint products and co-products are used synonymously in
common parlance, but strictly speaking a distinction can be made between
two. Co-products may be defined as two or more products which are
contemporary but do not emerge necessarily from the same material in
the same process. For instance, wheat and gram produced in two separate
farms with separate processing of cultivation are the co-products. Similarly,
timber boards made from different trees are co-products.
cannot be applied if the physical units of the two joint products are different. The
main defect of this method is that it gives equal importance and value to all the
joint products.
ILLUSTRATION 1
A coke manufacturing company produces the following products by using
5,000 tons of coal @ `1,100 per ton into a common process.
Coke 3,500 tons
Tar 1,200 tons
Sulphate of ammonia 52 tons
Benzol 48 tons
PREPARE a statement apportioning the joint cost amongst the products on the
basis of the physical unit method.
SOLUTION
Products
Coke Tar Sulphate Benzole Wastage Total
of
ammonia
Output (in ton) 3,500 1,200 52 48 200 5,000
Wastage (in 146 50 2 2 (200)
ton)
(Refer Note-1)
Net weight (in 3,646 1,250 54 50 - 5,000
ton)
Share of Joint 40,10,600 13,75,000 59,400 55,000 - 55,00,000
Cost @ `1,100
per ton (in `)
Note-1: Apportionment of wastage of 200 tons over the four products is as follows:
200
Coke: × 3,500 tons = 146 tons
4,800
200
Tar : × 1,200 tons = 50 tons
4,800
200
Sulphate of ammonia: × 52 tons = 2 tons
4,800
200
Benzole : × 48 tons = 2 tons
4,800
(ii) Net Realisable Value at Split-off Point Method: In this method of joint
cost apportionment the followings are deducted from the sales value of joint
products at final stage i.e. after processing:
(i) Estimated profit margins,
(ii) Selling and distribution expenses, if any, and
(iii) Post split- off costs.
The resultant figure so obtained is known as net realisable value of joint
products. Joint costs are apportioned in the ratio of net realisable value.
Product- A Product- B
Amount (`) Amount (`)
Sales Value 34,000 52,000
(`170 × 200 units) (`260 × 200 units)
Less: Post split-off cost (4,000) (32,000)
The net realisable value at split-off point method is widely used in the
industries. This method is used when the realisable value of joint products
at split-off is not known.
(iii) Using Technical Estimates: This method uses technical estimates to
apportion the joint costs over the joint products. This method is used when
the result obtained by the above methods does not match with the resources
consumed by joint products or the realisable value of the joint products are
not readily available.
Other Methods
The followings are the methods which are used by management for taking
managerial decisions:
(i) Market value at the point of separation: This method is used for the
apportionment of joint costs to joint products upto the split off point. It is
difficult to apply this method if the market value of the products at the point
of separation is not available. It is a useful method where further processing
costs are incurred disproportionately.
To determine the apportionment of joint costs over joint products, a factor
known as multiplying factor is determined. This multiplying factor on
multiplication with the sales values of each joint product gives rise to the
proportion of joint cost.
Joint Cost
Multipy in factor : ×100
Total Sales Revenue
Example: An entity incurs a joint cost of ` 64,500 in producing two products A
(200 units) and B (200 units) and earns a sales revenue of ` 86,000 by selling @
` 170 per unit of product A and product B @ ` 260 per unit.
The multiplying factor in this case is obtained by dividing the total joint cost
by total sales revenue and finally multiplying the figure so obtained by 100.
The multiplying factor based on the data can be computed as follows:
` 64,500
Multiplying Factor: × 100 = 75%
` 86,000
Joint cost apportioned over product A = Sales revenue of product A × 75%
= ` 34,000 × 75%
= ` 25,500
Joint cost apportioned over product B = Sales revenue of product B × 75%
= ` 52,000 × 75%
= ` 39,000
Alternatively - This joint cost may be apportioned in the ratio of sales values of
different joint products.
(ii) Market value after further processing: Here the basis of apportionment
of joint cost is the total sales value of finished products and involves the same
principle as discussed above. Suppose that in the example given above, if sales
prices of products A and B after further processing are ` 200 and ` 300
respectively the joint cost apportioned over Products A and B is as follows:
The pre-separation costs of ` 64,500 will be apportioned in the ratio of (2: 3)
as follows:
Market sales value after further processing
(`)
A : 200 units × ` 200 = 40,000
B : 200 units × ` 300 = 60,000
1,00,000
Joint cost apportionment:
` 40,000
A = ` 64,500 × = ` 25,800
` 1,00,000
` 60,000
B = ` 64,500 × = ` 38,700
` 1,00,000
The use of this method is unfair where further processing costs after the
point of separation are disproportionate or when all the joint products
are not subjected to further processing. The net realisable value method
which is discussed as above overcomes the shortcoming of this method.
(iii) Average Unit Cost Method: Under this method, total process cost (upto
the point of separation) is divided by total units of joint products produced.
On division average cost per unit of production is obtained.
Average unit cost = Total process cost (upto the point of separation) ÷ Total
units of joint product produced.
This is a simple method. The effect of application of this method is that all
joint products will have uniform cost per unit. If this method is used as the
basis for price fixation, then all the products may have more or less the same
price. Under this method customers of high quality items are benefitted as
they have to pay less price on their purchase.
ILLUSTRATION 2
FIND OUT the cost of joint products A, B and C using average unit cost method
from the following data:
(a) Pre-separation Joint Cost ` 60,000
(b) Production data:
Products Units produced
A 500
B 200
C 300
1,000
SOLUTION
Total joint costs ` 60,000
Average cost per unit = = = ` 60
Units produced 1,000 units
(iv) Contribution Margin Method: According to this method, joint costs are
segregated into two parts - variable and fixed. The variable costs are apportioned
over the joint products on the basis of units produced (average method) or physical
quantities. In case the products are further processed after the point of separation,
then all variable cost incurred be added to the variable costs determined earlier. In
this way total variable cost is arrived which is deducted from their respective sales
values to ascertain their contribution. The fixed costs are then apportioned over the
joint products on the basis of the contribution ratios.
ILLUSTRATION 3
FIND OUT the cost of joint products A and B using contribution margin method
from the following data :
Sales
A : 100 kg @ ` 60 per kg.
B : 120 kg @ ` 30 per kg.
Joint costs
Marginal cost ` 4,400
Fixed cost ` 3,900
SOLUTION
The marginal cost (variable cost) of ` 4,400 is apportioned over the joint
products A and B in the ratio of their physical quantity i.e 100 : 120
100
Marginal cost for Product A : ` 4,400 × = ` 2,000
220
120
Marginal cost for Product B : ` 4,400 × = ` 2,400
220
The fixed cost of ` 3,900 is apportioned over the joint products A and B in the
ratio of their contribution margin i.e. 40 : 12
(Refer to working note)
Product A : ` 3,900 × 40/52 = ` 3,000
Product B : ` 3,900 × 12/52 = ` 900
Working Note:
Computation of contribution margin ratio
Contribution ratio is 40 : 12
ILLUSTRATION 4
Inorganic Chemicals purchases salt and processes it into more refined products
such as Caustic Soda, Chlorine and PVC. In the month of July, Inorganic
Chemicals purchased Salt for ` 40,000. Conversion cost of ` 60,000 were
incurred upto the split off point, at which time two sealable products were
produced. Chlorine can be further processed into PVC.
The July production and sales information is as follows:
` 1,00,000
Joint cost apportioned to Caustic Soda = × 1,200 tonnes
2,000 tonnes
= `60,000
` 1,00,000
Joint cost apportioned to chlorine = × 800 tonnes
2,000 tonnes
= `40,000
(c) (1) Estimated net realisable value method:
SUMMARY
♦ Joint Products. Two or more products of equal importance, produced,
simultaneously from the same process, with each having a significant
relative sale value are known as joint products.
♦ Co-Products. Two or more products which are contemporary but do not
emerge necessarily from the same material in the same process.
♦ By-Products. Products recovered from material discarded in a main
process, or from the production of some major products.
♦ Methods of apportioning joint cost over joint products:
The commonly used methods for apportioning total process costs upto
the point of separation over the joint products are as follows:
(i) Physical Units Method
(ii) Net Realisable Value at split-off point
(iii) Using Technical Estimates
Some other methods, which managers may also use for making decisions
are:
(i) Market value at the point of separation
(ii) Market value after further processing
(iii) Average unit cost method
(iv) Contribution margin method
ANSWERS/ SOLUTIONS
Answers to the MCQs based Questions
1. (b) 2. (b) 3. (d) 4. (c) 5. (c) 6. (d)
7. (b) 8. (a) 9. (c) 10. (b)
Answers to the Theoretical Questions
1. Please refer paragraph 11.1
2. Please refer paragraph 11.5
3. Please refer paragraph 11.3
4. Please refer paragraph 11.3
Answers to the Practical Questions
1. Working Note:
Apportionment of joint costs on the basis of Net Realisable Value method
Cost
Profit 6,30,000
Products
F. Fixed 4,73,000
Cost
G. Profit (E 13,00,000
- F)
G. Profit (E - F) 13,30,000