Farmer sentiment hit a post pandemic high in September, according to the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.

The Ag Economy Barometer recorded a reading of 96, marking the first time the barometer has fallen below 100 since October 2016.

The barometer plummeted as concerns over the impact of the coronavirus on the agricultural economy weighed heavily on farmers’ minds.

The sentiment improvement took place as the Phase One Trade Agreement between the U.S. and China was being discussed and signed in mid-January.

Producers are voicing their concerns regarding increasing trade war concerns and decreasing commodity prices. The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer declined 26 points, down to 117, making July the largest one-month decline in producer sentiment since data collection began in October 2015. “This summer we’ve seen tariffs placed on imports of U.S. ag products […]

Agricultural producer sentiment rose last month to its highest level since January 2017, as producers expressed an improved view of current conditions and future expectations of the U.S. agricultural economy, according to the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The May Ag Economy Barometer reading of 141 was 16 points higher than April. The rise […]

Trade war concerns are putting a damper on producer sentiment toward the agricultural economy, according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The Ag Barometer has declined for the second month amid looming trade war concerns. The April barometer reading of 125 was 10 points lower than a month earlier and 15 points below […]

The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer fell to 135 in March, and trade relations and U.S ag export uncertainty is to blame. The 5-point decline in sentiment comes as a result of producers’ less-optimistic perceptions of both current conditions and future expectations. The Index of Current Conditions fell 9 points in March to 134, […]

Producer sentiment increased for the second straight month in February, but producers continued to indicate uncertainty surrounding a possible U.S. withdrawal from NAFTA, according to the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The barometer read 140 in February, a 5-point increase from January’s reading of 135. The increases mark a strong 14-point jump since December. […]

In January, producers were more optimistic about the economy than a month prior and the expectation of lower taxes may be why.