Â鶹apps Say Conditions on U.S. Farms Are Weakening
The latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer shows farmers continue to be concerned about the ag economy.
Michael Langemeier, director of Purdue’s Center for Commercial Agriculture, says the survey was taken when the September supply and demand report was released, and it contributed to the weaker outlook.
“About 70 percent of those we survey are crop producers,†he says. “When you look at the net returns in the crop sector, they’re not very good right now. We expected that group to be relatively pessimistic, drawing down that index of current conditions.â€
One factor that appears to be influencing farmer sentiment is farmers’ perspectives on the multitude of policy changes implemented in the U.S. in 2025. For example, a substantial majority (71%) of U.S. farmers in this month’s survey reported that things in the U.S. today are “headed in the right direction.†However, when asked specifically about whether they expect the increased use of tariffs to strengthen or weaken the U.S. agricultural economy, just over half (51%) said they expected tariffs to strengthen the agricultural economy in the long run.
Over 80% of producers think it’s likely or very likely that, in the event that a trade war negatively impacts commodity prices, a program similar to 2019’s MFP will help compensate for agricultural product price weakness.
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