Ag Barometer Readings: Farmer sentiment improves as interest rate expectations shift

The latest Ag Economy Barometer has been released and it shows that farmer sentiment has improved as interest rate expectations shift.

The barometer improved in March, pushing the reading up 3 points to a reading of 114. The Index of Current Conditions came in 2 points below last month at 101.
While the Index of Future Expectations climbed to 120, 5 points higher than in February.

That split was driven primarily by farmers’ perception of their financial condition and how they expect that to improve over the next year.

Farm Financial Performance was down 1 point at a reading of 83.

Purdue University Professor of Ag Economics, Dr. Jim Mintert spoke with RFD-TV’s own Tammi Arender on contributing factors to the shift, his big takeaways, and what to expect moving forward.

Related Stories
Securing Critical Water Resources for South Texas Agriculture
RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney says farmers there are already sounding the alarm about what this could mean for the future of ag research.
Global pork production is expected to rise in the first half of 2026, despite trade volatility stemming from shifting import policies and swine disease pressures.
Even small declines in the calf crop translate into sustained supply pressure, supporting cattle prices over multiple years.
Clear right-to-repair guidance reduces downtime, repair costs, and operational risk.