An informal survey of farmers and ranchers from the American Farm Bureau Federation shows cautious optimism about the upcoming crop year.
“Many farmers are cautiously optimistic that recent news on the trade front will manifest itself through higher export volumes and ultimately improved farm profitability,” says John Newton, chief economist with the AFBF.
In spite of this, Newton says that many are still apprehensive to make significant investments until they see gains from the China Trade Deal. Respondents also say they expect farm debt to rise in 2020 while profits fall.
The informal survey is based on results from 300 market participants, the AFBF says.