Farmer Sentiment Falls as Input Cost Worries Hit Record High
A Purdue/CME Group survey found 52% of farmers cite rising input costs as their top concern, driving a sharp drop in current conditions.
Farmer confidence deteriorated in September, according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer survey, with a record 52% of respondents identifying higher input costs as their primary concern — the largest share since the survey began tracking the metric.
The erosion in sentiment was reflected in a significant decline in near-term conditions, as the Index of Current Conditions fell 18 points. The reading signals that farmers view their immediate operating environment as considerably worse than in prior months, a trend that could weigh on agricultural investment and planning decisions heading into the next crop year.
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Rising input costs — which encompass fertilizer, fuel, seed, and crop-protection chemicals — have been a persistent pressure point for agricultural producers in recent years. When a majority of survey respondents flag the same concern simultaneously, it typically indicates that margin compression is broad-based rather than isolated to specific regions or commodities.
The Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer is a monthly national survey of U.S. agricultural producers and serves as a widely watched gauge of farm-sector confidence. Analysts and commodity market participants often monitor the index for early signals of shifts in planting intentions, land-rental negotiations, and equipment purchasing.
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