Farmer/Rancher Sentiments

The American Farm Bureau conducted an informal online survey to evaluate farmer sentiments on the farm economy.

John Newton, economist at American Farm Bureau, shared preliminary survey results at last month’s USDA Agricultural Outlook Conference and in a recent Market Intel piece. Nearly 300 farmers from across the country participated in the survey, with participation concentrated in the Midwest, primarily Minnesota and Illinois. Four Nebraska farmers participated. The survey asked participants perspectives on commodity prices and costs, farm profitability, land values and cash rents, farm debt, and investment decisions. Most respondents, 80 percent, identified themselves as a farmer or rancher with the primary farming activities involving crops and cattle followed by dairy and other livestock. Complete survey results can be found at: https://www.fb.org/market-intel.

Figure 1. Compared to today, what are your expectatiohns for farm cash receipts and commodity prices for 2020?

Figure 2. Compared to today, what are your expectations for farm production expenses in 2020?

Figure 3. Compared to today, what are your expectations for farm profitablity in 2020?

Source: American Farm Bureau Survey