Commodity Prices Have Landowners Searching for Additional Income

Low commodity prices have landowners searching for alternative incomes, according to Farmers National Company. The company says this is especially true as farmers head into harvest of the 2018 crops with current prices impacted by trade issues. In some states, landowners have also been facing increased costs due to rising property tax bills. For owners who have the right type …

Ag Economy Barometer Monthly Results

Farmers showed more optimism in the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The May survey reading was 141, 16 points higher than April and the highest since January of last year. A rating below 100 is negative, while a rating above 100 indicates positive sentiment regarding the agriculture industry. The rise in the barometer, a sentiment index derived from …

Farm Income, Credit, Weakening

Farm income and credit conditions continued to weaken in the first quarter of 2018, but at a slower pace than in previous quarters. According to the Tenth District Survey of Agricultural Credit Conditions, compiled by the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank, reduced farm income contributed to intensifying cash-flow concerns and tightening lending standards. Cash-flow shortages continued to limit the availability …

St. Louis Fed Survey Shows Farm Income Down Once Again

Farm income declined in the first quarter of 2018, the 17th-consecutive quarter of lower income numbers. The latest Agricultural Finance Monitor, published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, shows quality farmland values and cash rents were also slightly lower than in 2017. The St. Louis Fed surveyed 24 agricultural banks in the Eighth Federal Reserve District, which includes …

Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer Slips in April Report

The latest measure of producer mindset dipped lower in April. The Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer fell to 125 last month, which was ten points lower than a month earlier and 15 points below its February reading. Organizers say the sharp drop in the ag producer sentiment index was attributable to producers’ weakening perceptions of current conditions in the production …

Ag Economy Barometer Results for March

Farmers are expressing concerns regarding agricultural trade, according to the latest Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The barometer slipped to 135 in March, down five points compared to February, but unchanged from January’s results. The decline was attributed to farmers weakening perceptions of current conditions and a decline in their expectations for the future. The index surveys 400 producers each …

Rural Mainstreet Index Remains Positive

Dodd-Frank Limits Lending for Most Rural Banks March Survey Results at a Glance: *  For a second straight month the overall index rose above growth neutral. *  Approximately 16.8 percent of grain farmers are expected to suffer negative cash flow for 2018. This is down slightly from 12 months earlier. * The percent of farmland purchases for cash (not financed) declined …