About Dr. Mintert and the Ag Economy Barometer
03/13/2025
Since October of 2015, Purdue University and the CME group have produced the Ag Economy Barometer, which is a nationwide measure of the health of the U.S. agricultural economy. On the first Tuesday of each month, the Ag Economy Barometer provides a sense of the agricultural economy’s health with an index value. The index is based on a survey of 400 agricultural producers on economic sentiment each month. Quarterly, the index is accompanied by an in-depth survey of 100 agriculture and agribusiness thought leaders.
Dr. Jim Mintert, Professor Emeritus at Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture and a principle developer of the Ag Barometer, will be a speaker at the ASAC Annual Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 3-4, 2025. Dr. Mintert will share the Barometer’s background as well as one of his first presentations of the new November 2025 Barometer report.
As CME Group’s roots are in agriculture, and Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture has a long history of producing cutting-edge agricultural research, this partnership is designed to create a new and important tool for producers, economists, traders, finance industry professionals and journalists who are interested in understanding the agriculture industry and the broader global economy.
The Barometer is unique because the index will be calculated based on producers' sentiment about both current conditions and future expectations. Unlike other indices, the Ag Economy Barometer will also focus directly on key economic drivers US farm economy, including farm profitability, farmland values and key commodity prices and other seasonal drivers such as seed, fertilizer and feed ingredient prices.
The February 2025 Barometer published on March 4th revealed that farmer sentiment improved in February, with the Barometer climbing to 152, which is 11 points above the previous month. From the Barometer's website “An improvement in the current situation on U.S. farms was the primary driver behind the stronger sentiment among producers, as the Current Conditions Index reading of 137 was 28 points above January’s reading. There was relatively little change in producers’ assessment of future prospects as the Future Expectations Index rose just 3 points in February to 159.”
The link to the report provides all the charts and graphs for each topic and a history of the indices for each. Each month also provides farmer responses to additional questions to glean their positions on current issues. For example, in February the farmers were asked for their thoughts on a reasonable growth rate expectation for their farm over the next five years, the policies or programs that are most important to their farm in the next five years (selected from a provided list of options) and their sense of the likelihood that U.S. agriculture is at risk of a “trade war” that results in a significant decrease in U.S. ag exports.
Come join us at the ASAC Annual Conference and have the opportunity to hear and interact with great presenters like Dr. Mintert. For more information about the Annual Conference, go to ASAC Conference. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Don Tyler
Tyler & Associates
ASAC Board Member
Since October of 2015, Purdue University and the CME group have produced the Ag Economy Barometer, which is a nationwide measure of the health of the U.S. agricultural economy. On the first Tuesday of each month, the Ag Economy Barometer provides a sense of the agricultural economy’s health with an index value. The index is based on a survey of 400 agricultural producers on economic sentiment each month. Quarterly, the index is accompanied by an in-depth survey of 100 agriculture and agribusiness thought leaders.
Dr. Jim Mintert, Professor Emeritus at Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture and a principle developer of the Ag Barometer, will be a speaker at the ASAC Annual Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 3-4, 2025. Dr. Mintert will share the Barometer’s background as well as one of his first presentations of the new November 2025 Barometer report.
As CME Group’s roots are in agriculture, and Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture has a long history of producing cutting-edge agricultural research, this partnership is designed to create a new and important tool for producers, economists, traders, finance industry professionals and journalists who are interested in understanding the agriculture industry and the broader global economy.
The Barometer is unique because the index will be calculated based on producers' sentiment about both current conditions and future expectations. Unlike other indices, the Ag Economy Barometer will also focus directly on key economic drivers US farm economy, including farm profitability, farmland values and key commodity prices and other seasonal drivers such as seed, fertilizer and feed ingredient prices.
The February 2025 Barometer published on March 4th revealed that farmer sentiment improved in February, with the Barometer climbing to 152, which is 11 points above the previous month. From the Barometer's website “An improvement in the current situation on U.S. farms was the primary driver behind the stronger sentiment among producers, as the Current Conditions Index reading of 137 was 28 points above January’s reading. There was relatively little change in producers’ assessment of future prospects as the Future Expectations Index rose just 3 points in February to 159.”
The link to the report provides all the charts and graphs for each topic and a history of the indices for each. Each month also provides farmer responses to additional questions to glean their positions on current issues. For example, in February the farmers were asked for their thoughts on a reasonable growth rate expectation for their farm over the next five years, the policies or programs that are most important to their farm in the next five years (selected from a provided list of options) and their sense of the likelihood that U.S. agriculture is at risk of a “trade war” that results in a significant decrease in U.S. ag exports.
Come join us at the ASAC Annual Conference and have the opportunity to hear and interact with great presenters like Dr. Mintert. For more information about the Annual Conference, go to ASAC Conference. We look forward to seeing you there!
= = = = =
Don Tyler
Tyler & Associates
ASAC Board Member
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