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Farmer sentiment hits highest level in four years

Graphic provided by Purdue’s Center for Commercial Agriculture.

According to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer, farmer sentiment has hit its highest level in four years.

Jim Mintert with Purdue’s Center for Commercial Agriculture says producers are more optimistic about trade. 

“It implies that they’re on board with, or maybe have some confidence in the current administration’s strategy with respect to use of tariffs in terms of negotiating better trade deals for American agriculture,” he says.

He tells Brownfield this month’s survey was taken the week of May 12.

“That was a week when there was some significant optimism and people became a lot more optimistic about what was going to happen with respect to trade,” he says.  “I think that really was the key that drove the optimism. The percentage of folks that expect to see exports increase really skyrocketed.”

Mintert says he will continue to monitor any changes in trade to see how it could shape farmer sentiment in the coming months. 

The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer is a nationwide measure of the health of the U.S. agricultural economy and surveys 400 agricultural producers on economic sentiment each month.

AUDIO: Jim Mintert