Farmer Sentiment Falls as Input Cost Worries Hit Record High
A Purdue/CME Group survey found 52% of farmers cite input costs as their top concern, driving a sharp drop in current conditions.
Farmer confidence declined in September as surging input costs weighed heavily on agricultural producers, according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer survey released Monday.
More than half of respondents — 52% — identified higher input costs as their primary concern, a figure that represents a new record high for that metric in the survey's history. The reading signals deepening financial pressure on farm operations across the country.
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The measure of current conditions fell sharply, dropping 18 points compared to the prior period. That decline reflects growing unease among producers about the near-term economic environment, particularly as expenses for fuel, fertilizer, and other farm inputs remain elevated.
The Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer is a monthly gauge of sentiment among U.S. agricultural producers. Persistent cost pressures, if sustained, could affect planting decisions, capital investment, and the broader rural economy heading into the next growing season.
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