In a story from the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB), farmer sentiment in May climbed to its highest level since May of 2021. The Purdue University CME Group Ag Economy Barometer Index reached 158, 10 points above April. Behind the sentiment improvement, farmers’ views were much more optimistic about U.S. agricultural export prospects combined with a less negative view of tariffs impacts on 2025 farm income than respondents were in March or April.
Dale Sandlin reporting for Southeast AgNet.
The May 2025 Ag Economy Barometer from Purdue University and CME Group climbed to its highest level since May 2021, with the index reaching 158. In this video, James Mintert breaks down key trends including:
- Rises in current conditions & future expectation
- farmland value expectations
- long-term ag export outlook
- tariffs
- government policies
- and the importance of a new farm bill.
Discover what’s driving these trends and what it means for the U.S. ag economy in 2025.
? Full report: https://purdue.edu/agbarometer
? More insights: Listen to the latest Purdue Commercial AgCast for deeper analysis. https://purdue.ag/agcast
Farmer Sentiment Reaches a Four-Year High In May
Michael Langemeier and James Mintert, Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture
Farmer sentiment in May climbed to its highest level since May 2021 as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer index reached 158, 10 points higher than in April. Farmers were more optimistic about both current conditions and their expectations for the future as the Current Conditions Index improved by 5 points to 146 and the Future Expectations Index jumped 12 points to 164. Key reasons behind the sentiment improvement were a much more optimistic view of U.S. agricultural export prospects, combined with a less negative view of tariffs’ impact on 2025 farm income than respondents provided in either March or April. The May barometer survey took place from May 12-16, 2025.
The Farm Financial Performance Index improved to 109 in May, 8 points higher than in April. The index’s rise indicates U.S. farmers expect 2025 to be a somewhat stronger income year than they experienced in 2024. However, despite expectations for stronger financial performance in 2025, the Farm Capital Investment Index fell 6 points from April to May, providing an index reading of 55. This month’s decline was all attributable to fewer respondents saying it is a good time to invest in their farm operations. Even with the investment index’s decline, it was still much …..
Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer May results can be read here.