Sentiment among agricultural producers weakened in September as the Ag Economy Barometer declined 14 points to a reading of 124. This is the weakest farmer sentiment reading since July 2020.

Agricultural producers’ sentiment improved slightly in August compared to July as the Ag Economy Barometer rose four points to a reading of 138 vs. 134 a month earlier. Although the barometer and its two key sub-indices improved in August compared to July, all three indices remain well below the very positive sentiment readings posted this…

On the heels of a sharp two-month decline, the Agricultural Economy Barometer stabilized at a reading of 134 in July, just 3 points below a month earlier. This month’s sentiment index was the weakest barometer reading since July of 2020 and marked a return to sentiment readings observed from 2017 through 2019 when annual average…

For the second month in a row, the Ag Economy Barometer declined sharply, falling to a reading of 137, which was 21 points below a month earlier, and the weakest ag producer sentiment reading since July 2020.

The Ag Economy Barometer declined 20 points in May to 158 which is the lowest reading since September 2020. Both principal sub-indices, the Index of Current Conditions and Index of Futures Expectations, declined also. Reflecting expectations for a strong crop sector, two-thirds of corn and soybean producers expect farmland cash rental rates to rise in…

The April Ag Economy Barometer was virtually unchanged from a month earlier when the index stood at 177 and just 5 points below its all-time high of 183, which was set back in October. Compared to March, however, there was a small change in producers’ perspective on the ag economy as they became more optimistic…

The Ag Economy Barometer rose in March to 177, the highest reading for the barometer since the record high reading of 184 in October. Strong ag commodity prices and improved farm financial conditions continue to support the Ag Economy Barometer readings as we head into spring.

February’s Ag Economy Barometer changed very little compared to January, down 2 points to a reading of 165. Ongoing strength in ag commodity prices and farm income continue to support producers’ perspective on current conditions while concerns about possible policy changes affecting agriculture and eroding confidence in future growth in ag trade continue to weigh…

The Ag Economy Barometer drifted lower in January to a reading of 167, a decline of 7 points compared to December and equal to the index’s November reading. The barometer’s decline over the last three months is all attributable to weaker expectations for the future as the Index of Future Expectations has fallen 35 points.

Farmer sentiment improved modestly in December as the Ag Economy Barometer rose to a reading of 174, up 7 points from November. Both of the barometer’s sub-indices, the Index of Current Conditions and the Index of Future Expectations, were higher in December than in November although the current conditions improvement was three-times the size of…