About the Ag Economy Barometer

James Mintert & Michael Langemeier   Ag producer sentiment fell sharply during July as the impact of commodity price declines and concerns about ag trade prospects weighed on producers’ perceptions of both current and future conditions in the agricultural economy. The Ag Economy Barometer declined 26 points to a reading of 117 in July, driven by sharp reductions in both the Index of Current Conditions, which fell from 138 to 99, and the Index of Future Expectations, which fell from 146 in June to 126 in July. This month’s decline, the largest one-month decline in the Ag Economy Barometer’s nearly…

James Mintert & Michael Langemeier   Ag producer sentiment improved slightly during June as the Ag Economy Barometer index rose to a reading of 143 compared to 141 a month earlier. The modest rise in the Ag Economy Barometer, which is based on a nationwide survey of 400 U.S. agricultural producers each month, was underpinned by a rise in the Index of Current Conditions, which rose to 138 compared to a reading of 132 a month earlier. The Index of Future Expectations was essentially unchanged with a reading of 146 in June vs. 145 in May.     Sentiment Rises…

James Mintert & Michael Langemeier   The May reading of the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer was 141, 16 points higher than in April 2018 and the highest barometer value since January 2017 (Figure 1). The rise in the barometer, a sentiment index derived from a monthly survey of 400 agricultural producers across the U.S., was driven both by producers improved view of current conditions and, especially, their more optimistic view of the future. The Index of Current Conditions rose to 132 during May, 9 points higher than in April while the Index of Future Expectations climbed to a…