Farmer sentiment climbed in December according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. Purdue University Ag Economist Jim Mintert says farmer sentiment increased seven points to an index of 174, mainly on the perception that higher grain prices will lead to higher profitability. “If you look underneath the hood, the index of current conditions was up sharply. The rally in crop prices tells you why the index increased so much.” Mintert says there is still a lot of uncertainty about future trade with China. “At the beginning of 2020, roughly 80 percent of the people on the survey said we think it will be resolved in a way that’s beneficial for agriculture. In December, it was only 47 percent. That’s surprising given the strength we’ve seen in exports to China last few months, but I think it indicates uncertainty.” Here’s more barometer results.
