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A closer look at farmer concerns

There’s been a lot of talk about getting a farm bill complete, but are farmers worried?  The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer has been polling farmers throughout 2023 about their biggest concerns for their farming operations. 

Jim Mintert with Purdue’s Center for Commercial Agriculture says the farm bill hasn’t ranked high on farmers’ list of concerns. “Consistently, very few people in the survey pick farm policy,”  he says.  “In fact, looking at the results, that ranks lowest.”

He tells Brownfield that doesn’t mean they aren’t worried.  “I think people are kind of telling us that they expected to see happen what did happen,” he says.  “Which was an extension of the current bill. They were probably not expecting any big changes, and at least for the upcoming 12 months, that appears to be the case.”

So, what does concern producers?  “Forty-two percent of the people in the survey back in January said high input cost was their number one concern this month,” he says. “That is still the number one concern, but the percentage choosing it has changed, it’s down to 32%.” Rising interest rates came in second at 26 percent, followed by lower crop and/or livestock prices.

The survey, polls 400 agricultural producers nationwide each month to provide a measure of the health of the U.S. ag economy.

AUDIO: Jim Mintert, Purdue Center for Commerical Agriculture