Farmer sentiment drops as concerns about input costs increase
Key Highlights
- ➤Farmer sentiment fell 12 points to 123 in September
- ➤52% cited higher input costs as their top concern, a record high
- ➤Current Conditions Index dropped 18 points; Farm Financial Performance Index fell to 90
- ➤Long-Term Farmland Value Expectations Index rose 5 points to a record 168
- ➤Fewer than half of producers said the U.S. was headed in the right direction
Expert Statements
Michael Langemeier, Principal investigator of the barometer and director of Purdue's Center for Commercial Agriculture
“Producer sentiment this month reflects a growing divide between concerns about the near term and expectations for the longer term”
Michael Langemeier, Principal investigator of the barometer and director of Purdue's Center for Commercial Agriculture
“While higher costs and financial pressures are clearly shaping producers' views of current conditions, strong expectations for farmland values point to a more positive outlook for some aspects of the agricultural economy.”
Farmer sentiment drops as concerns about input costs increase PR Newswire
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In the September Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer survey, 52% of respondents cited higher input costs as their top concern, marking a new record high. Alongside an 18-point drop in the Index of Current Conditions, overall farmer sentiment weakened in September, falling from 135 points in August to 123. Although the Long-Term Farmland Value Expectations Index also reached a new high of 168, up 5 points from August, the Index of Future Expectations fell 9 points, as more respondents expected their operation to be worse off financially (35%) than better off (22%) a year from now. The survey was conducted among 400 farmers across the nation from Sept. 14-18.
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