Farmer sentiment improves despite rising input cost concerns

Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer (CME) rose to 127 in March from 116 in February, driven by a 14-point gain in the Future Expectations Index and a 6-point rise in the Current Conditions Index.

Rhea-AI Summary

Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer (CME) rose to 127 in March from 116 in February, driven by a 14-point gain in the Future Expectations Index and a 6-point rise in the Current Conditions Index. The survey ran March 16-20.

Producers showed cautious optimism: 18% said operations are better than a year ago, 20% expect improved finances next 12 months versus 18% expecting worse. Farmland value expectations strengthened and solar lease interest was modest.

Positive

• Barometer rose to 127 from 116 in March
• Future Expectations Index increased by 14 points
• Long-term Farmland Expectations index rose to 159

Negative

• Only 4% plan increased machinery purchases
• Just 5% reported signing a solar lease
• Future Expectations remain below March 2025 levels

Argus Apr 7 session

+0.65% close to close Open Argus

Details

News Market Reaction – CME

In the Apr 7 session, CME gained 0.65%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Market Context

This announcement highlights a rebound in farm sentiment, with the Ag Economy Barometer at 127 and f...

Analysis

This announcement highlights a rebound in farm sentiment, with the Ag Economy Barometer at 127 and future expectations up 14 points, while caution persists around input costs and capital spending. For CME, the data contextualize agricultural hedging demand alongside its recent record volumes across asset classes. Investors may watch how farmland value expectations, solar lease activity, and views on inflation and the prime rate evolve into upcoming earnings and volume updates.

Key Figures

Ag Economy Barometer: 127 Future Expectations gain: 14 points Current Conditions gain: 6 points +5 more

Ag Economy Barometer

127

March reading, up from 116 in February

Future Expectations gain

14 points

Increase in Future Expectations Index versus February

Current Conditions gain

6 points

Increase in Current Conditions Index versus February

Better off financially

18%

Producers saying operations were better off than a year ago

Expect improved performance

20%

Respondents expecting better financial performance next 12 months

Expect worse performance

18%

Respondents expecting worse financial performance next 12 months

Farm Capital Investment Index

53

March reading, up 3 points from prior month

Discussed solar lease

12%

Producers who discussed a solar lease in past six months

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: 2026-04-02

5 events

1. 2026-04-02

   Record trading volumes

   24h Move

   +2.8%

   All-time record monthly and quarterly average daily volume across major complexes.

2. 2026-03-11

   Earnings call notice

   24h Move

   -1.0%

   Announcement of Q1 2026 earnings release timing and investor conference call details.

3. 2026-03-09

   Energy volume record

   24h Move

   +0.6%

   Energy complex set all-time single-day record of 8.3M contracts with multiple sub-records.

4. 2026-03-08

   New futures launch

   24h Move

   +0.6%

   First trades in new South Asia Crude Palm Oil (Fastmarkets) futures suite following launch.

5. 2026-03-03

   Dairy records

   24h Move

   -0.4%

   New open interest and ADV records in dairy futures and options driven by market fundamentals.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

prime interest rate, escalator clause

2 terms

prime interest rate financial

"When asked whether the U.S. prime interest rate would be lower, about the same or higher..."

The prime interest rate is the standard interest rate banks charge their most creditworthy customers and serves as the starting point for many consumer and business loans, like a store’s posted price from which discounts are given. It matters to investors because changes in that rate ripple through the economy: higher rates raise borrowing costs, can slow growth and squeeze company profits, while lower rates tend to boost spending, investment and asset prices.

escalator clause financial

"More than half of respondents (56%) said contract offers included an escalator clause..."

An escalator clause is a contract provision that automatically adjusts payments or contract terms over time based on a set measure—often inflation, commodity prices, or wage indexes. For investors it matters because such clauses change future cash flows and risk: they protect one side from rising costs but can reduce predictable returns or boost revenue in line with rising prices, like a built‑in thermostat that raises or lowers payments as conditions change.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., April 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Farmer sentiment improved in March as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose to 127, up from 116 in February. The improvement was driven by a notable increase in producers' expectations for the future, with the Future Expectations Index climbing 14 points and the Current Conditions Index rising 6 points. Despite the improvement, producers' outlooks remain more cautious than a year ago, with the Future Expectations Index still below the March 2025 levels. The survey was conducted March 16-20. 

Producers reported mixed financial conditions in March, with 18% indicating their operations were better off than a year ago. Expectations for the year ahead continue to be cautiously optimistic, with 20% of respondents anticipating improved financial performance, compared with 18% expecting worse financial performance over the next 12 months. The Farm Capital Investment Index edged up 3 points to 53, but plans to expand machinery purchases remain limited, with only 4% of producers planning increases.

"While producers are feeling more optimistic about the future, there's still a noticeable gap between short-term challenges and long-term confidence," said Michael Langemeier, the barometer's principal investigator and director of Purdue's Center for Commercial Agriculture. "Longer-term optimism is supported by stronger expectations for farmland values and the broader economy, though livestock producers remain notably more optimistic than crop producers."

This month's survey also examined producer expectations for inflation and interest rates. Approximately 39% of respondents stated that they expect inflation for consumers to exceed 3%. When asked whether the U.S. prime interest rate would be lower, about the same or higher 12 months from now, 34% of producers anticipate lower interest rates, while 16% said they expect rates to be higher.

The March survey also included questions about leasing farmland for solar energy production. Twelve percent of producers reported discussing a solar lease within the past six months. Reported lease rates varied widely, with roughly 21% exceeding $1,500 per acre. More than half of respondents (56%) said contract offers included an escalator clause, most commonly in the 2% to 3% annual range. Overall, 5% of respondents indicated that they or one of their landowners had signed a solar lease.

Farmland value expectations strengthened in March, with the Short-Term Farmland Value Expectations Index rising from 123 to 125 and the long-term index increasing from 150 to 159. Producers pointed to alternative investments, net farm income and interest rates as the primary factors influencing farmland values.

Optimism about the direction of the U.S. economy improved in March, with 65% of producers indicating the country is headed in the "right direction," compared to 59% in February.

About the Purdue University Center for Commercial Agriculture

The Center for Commercial Agriculture was founded in 2011 to provide professional development and educational programs for farmers. Housed within Purdue University's Department of Agricultural Economics, the center's faculty and staff develop and execute research and educational programs that address the different needs of managing in today's business environment.

About CME Group

As the world's leading derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) enables clients to trade futures, options, cash and OTC markets, optimize portfolios, and analyze data – empowering market participants worldwide to efficiently manage risk and capture opportunities. CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, cryptocurrencies, energy, agricultural products and metals. The company offers futures and options on futures trading through the CME Globex platform, fixed income trading via BrokerTec and foreign exchange trading on the EBS platform. In addition, it operates one of the world's leading central counterparty clearing providers, CME Clearing. 

CME Group, the Globe logo, CME, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Globex, and E-mini are trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. CBOT and Chicago Board of Trade are trademarks of Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, Inc. NYMEX, New York Mercantile Exchange and ClearPort are trademarks of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc. COMEX is a trademark of Commodity Exchange, Inc. BrokerTec is a trademark of BrokerTec Americas LLC and EBS is a trademark of EBS Group LTD. The S&P 500 Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("S&P DJI"). "S&P^®", "S&P 500^®", "SPY^®", "SPX^®", US 500 and The 500 are trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC; Dow Jones^®, DJIA^® and Dow Jones Industrial Average are service and/or trademarks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. These trademarks have been licensed for use by Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. Futures contracts based on the S&P 500 Index are not sponsored, endorsed, marketed, or promoted by S&P DJI, and S&P DJI makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in such products. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue's main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.

Source: Michael Langemeier, mlangeme@purdue.edu, 765-494-9557

CME-G

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/farmer-sentiment-improves-despite-rising-input-cost-concerns-302735562.html

SOURCE CME Group

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What did the Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer report for March 2026 (CME)?

The barometer rose to 127 in March 2026, up from 116 in February. According to Purdue/CME Group, the gain was led by a 14-point jump in the Future Expectations Index and a 6-point rise in Current Conditions.

How did producers rate their financial outlook in March 2026 for CME investors?

Producers were cautiously optimistic: 20% expect improved finances next 12 months while 18% expect worse. According to Purdue/CME Group, 18% said operations are better than a year ago.

What did the March 16-20, 2026 survey say about farmland value expectations (CME)?

Short-term farmland expectations edged to 125 and long-term rose to 159. According to Purdue/CME Group, producers cited alternative investments, net farm income, and interest rates as key drivers.

What did the March 2026 survey report about producer concerns on inflation and interest rates for CME stakeholders?

39% expect consumer inflation above 3%, while 34% expect lower prime rates in 12 months and 16% expect higher rates. According to Purdue/CME Group, views on inflation and rates remain mixed.

How active were producers on solar farmland leasing according to the March 2026 Ag Economy Barometer (CME)?

12% reported discussing a solar lease in the past six months, and 5% had signed one. According to Purdue/CME Group, about 21% of reported lease rates exceeded $1,500 per acre.

What does the Farm Capital Investment Index reading of 53 mean for CME investors in March 2026?

The index edged to 53, indicating limited expansion in capital plans; only 4% plan more machinery purchases. According to Purdue/CME Group, investment intent remains restrained despite improving sentiment.