May 5, 2020

April Ag Barometer Drops Below 100 as Coronavirus Disrupts Agriculture

Coronavirus concerns, commodity price declines, and supply-chain disruptions sink producer sentiment to a three-year low. Purdue ag economists Michael Langemeier and James Mintert discuss the April Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer on this episode of the Purdue Commercial AgCast.

The Ag Economy Barometer is based on responses from 400 U.S. agricultural producers and this month’s survey was conducted from April 19-24, 2020.

TEAM LINKS:

James Mintert

Michael Langemeier

RELATED RESOURCES

Cost Efficiency Comparisons of U.S. and Canadian Farms

May 27, 2025

The objective of this paper is to measure the cost efficiency of corn and soybean production for six typical farms in North America (three in Canada and three in the United States). All these farms produce both corn and soybeans. Cost efficiency is measured using data envelope analysis. In addition to comparing efficiency indices, cost shares of the most efficient farm is compared to cost shares for the other five farms.

Net Return Comparisons between Tillage Systems

May 23, 2025

Using the FINBIN database, this article compares the net return per acre between no-till systems and reduced tillage systems for corn and soybeans from 2014 to 2023. It is important to keep in mind that no-till systems typically exhibit lower erosion levels and GHG emissions. There is a tradeoff between net return per acre and environmental concerns that need to be considered when comparing these two production systems.

Farmland Investments: A Conversation with Kyle Maple and Pete Drost

May 23, 2025

Kyle Maple and Pete Drost, professionals in the farmland investment space join hosts Todd Kuethe and Chad Fiechter in this episode of Purdue Commercial AgCast. Maple and Drost share their backgrounds, roles within US Agriculture, and day-to-day tasks in farmland asset management.