Ag Economic Barometer: Despite ag trade uncertainty, farmer sentiment is strong for the year ahead

Dr. Jim Mintert of Purdue University spoke with RFD-TV’s Suzanne Alexander about contributing factors, producer opinions on trade policy, and the reading’s big takeaways.

Despite ag trade uncertainty, farmers still have an optimistic outlook for the year ahead, according to the latest Ag Economy Barometer, which rose five points from the previous month.

Dr. Jim Mintert of Purdue University spoke with RFD-TV’s Suzanne Alexander about contributing factors, producer opinions on trade policy, and the reading’s big takeaways.

Related Stories
Tim and Sharyn Abbott of the Music City Celebration Sale preview the weekend’s premier auction, drawing breeders to Nashville again this year.
Western Caucus member Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) details the SPEED Act on Champions of Rural America. The legislation aims to reform NEPA, streamline permitting, and expand domestic energy development.
“I’m not sure where this bridge goes,” trader Brady Huck with Advanced Trading told RFD-TV News earlier this week.
CoBank’s 2026 Year Ahead Report cites global grain oversupply, easing inflation, rate cuts, and major data center growth that could reshape rural America.
Plan for sharp, short-term volatility after unexpected outages; permanent closures rarely trigger major price spread disruptions.
Ethanol output softened, but underlying supply-and-demand trends indicate stable longer-term use despite short-term volatility in blending and exports.
Strong Farm Credit finances help cushion producers, but prolonged low crop margins could strain renewals in 2026.
USDA data confirms that U.S. agriculture remains overwhelmingly family-run despite structural shifts in scale and production, according to a new analystis by Farm Flavor.
The specific provision in the CO₂ storage law allowed the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) to authorize carbon storage projects to proceed even if they lacked unanimous consent from all affected landowners.