The Ag Economy Barometer rose to a reading of 167 in January, a 17-point jump from December when the index stood at 150. Virtually all of the rise in this month’s barometer was attributable to a sharp rise in optimism about future conditions in agriculture.

The Ag Economy Barometer dipped to a reading of 150 in December, down 3 points compared to November. The barometer’s decline was attributable to a decline in producers’ perception of current economic conditions.

The Ag Economy Barometer improved to a reading of 153 in November, up 17 points compared to October. This month’s rise in sentiment left the barometer tied with July for the highest reading of 2019.

The Ag Economy Barometer improved to a reading of 136 in October, up 15 points compared to September, which pushed the barometer back to the same level observed in October 2018.

The Ag Economy Barometer dipped slightly in September to a reading of 121, down just 3 points from August, when the index stood at 124. Ag producers were noticeably more pessimistic about current conditions on their farms and in the U.S. ag economy.

After rising sharply two months in a row, the Ag Economy Barometer weakened significantly in August falling back to a reading of 124, down 29 points compared to a month earlier and just slightly below the June reading of 126.

The Ag Economy Barometer improved by 27 points in July to a reading of 153. July was the second month in a row that the barometer rose sharply, leaving the barometer 52 points higher than in May.

The Ag Economy Barometer improved by 25 points in June to a reading of 126. The improvement in farmers’ sentiment occurred in the midst of this spring’s corn and soybean planting delays in the nation’s mid-section, which is expected to lead to unprecedented levels of prevented planting claims for both corn and soybeans.

The Ag Economy Barometer collapsed by 14 points in May to a reading of 101. Producer sentiment dropped to the lowest level since since Oct 2016, erasing the large improvement in sentiment recorded following the November 2016 election.

The Ag Economy Barometer plummeted in April, declining to a reading of 115, an 18-point decline compared to March when the sentiment index stood at 133. The 18-point decline in the index was the fourth largest one-month fall in the barometer since data collection began in October 2015.