The February Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer reading reached 111, a 5-point rise from last month, attributed to optimism about the future.

Stronger ’22 income predictions have led to improved producer sentiment in Dec. moving the Perdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer up 24 points at year end.

Farmer sentiment has improved marginally alongside current conditions and future expectations. However, these indexes are all still 23-24 percent lower than a year ago. Among the top concerns for producers are higher input prices, lower crop pricing, interest rates, and availability of units.