Ag Economy

American farm establishments received 14.5 cents per dollar spent on domestically produced food in 2021; a decrease of 1.0 cent from a revised 15.5 cents in 2020.  The figure is the lowest recorded farm share value in nearly three decades, according to ERS.  The rem...

The USDA released its new Ag trade forecast Tuesday and the main takeaway, is the revised export number.  USDA chief economist Seth Meyer said analysts were already anticipating an Ag export value decline since 2022 set a new record high for U.S. export...

Farm loan interest rates increased sharply during the third quarter.  The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City said despite the high borrowing costs, farm real estate values continued higher.  However, the rate of increase slowed in the quarter.   Follo...

The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index fell below growth-neutral for the sixth-consecutive month.  On a scale of one to 100, with 50 representing growth neutral, the Economic Confidence Index plummeted to its lowest level since 2020.  Almost ...

Interest rates on farm loans increased sharply in the third quarter, and the acceleration in farm real estate values continued to ease.  The Kansas City Fed said farm income and credit conditions remained solid, but the pace of improvement softened.  The fin...

The Creighton University October Rural Mainstreet Index dropped for the sixth time in the last seven months.  It’s the fifth-consecutive month that the index has been below growth neutral.  Creighton University’s Dr. Ernie Goss said the index...

The Congressional Western Caucus wants information regarding oversight of the Climate-Smart Commodities pilot program.  In a letter this week to the Biden administration, led by central Washington’s Dan Newhouse, as well as Maryland’s Andy Harris, the caucus outlined concerns regarding the program, which was created with no direction from Congress.  The lawmakers want ...

Farmer sentiment weakened again in October as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer fell to a reading of 102, down ten points compared to a month earlier.  Both of the barometer’s sub-indices, the Index of Current Conditions and the Index of Future Expectations, declined this month.  The Current C...

Agricultural manufacturers are still struggling to get enough parts to continue to put together their products.  Dr. Kanlaya Barr, director of corporate economics with John Deere, said there are parts they are missing or short on a regular basis.   “...

As Idaho Preferred tries to help farmers markets across the state try to rebound from the pandemic, the organization says there is strong community support for those markets.  A final tally on Farmer's Market sales for the season won't be released until mid-November.  Dawn La...