The Ag Economy Barometer drifted sideways in December, to a reading of 150 compared to 153 in November. Although the barometer changed little in December, there was a shift in producers’ perspective regarding both their farms’ and the production ag sector’s economic health.

The Purdue/CME Ag Economy Barometer rose in November for the second month in a row, climbing to 153, 17 points higher than in October when the index stood at 136. This month’s rise in the ag economy sentiment index left the barometer tied with July for the highest barometer reading of 2019.

Farmers were less pessimistic in October than they were in September concerning the U.S.-China trade war. In October, 51% of respondents said that resolution soon was unlikely, which was down from a reading of 59% in September and 71% in August.

The Ag Economy Barometer improved to a reading of 136 in October, up 15 points compared to September, which pushed the barometer back to the same level observed in October 2018. This month’s upswing in the ag economy sentiment index was driven by an improvement in ag producers’ assessments of both current and future economic conditions in agriculture.

In this week’s podcast, we look at the second quarter earnings reports for several dealers and manufacturers, including AGCO, Rocky Mountain Dealerships and CNH Industrial. In the Technology Corner, Jack Zemlicka shares how transitioning to smaller, autonomous implements will require a substantial shift for manufacturers and dealers, with cost-savings being the driving factor. We also discuss the rising Ag Economy Barometer, bringing a more optimistic perspective on farmland values and influencing decisions on large equipment. Also, in this episode, we break down the 2019 Market Facilitation Program, and we discuss the on-going battle over North Dakota’s ‘Dealers Bill of Rights’.

USDA’s June Acreage report was conducted too early to adequately capture the impact of prevented plantings on 2019 corn and soybean acreage. The Ag Economy Barometer asked growers if they are taking a prevented planting payment on any acreage in 2019.

Although both the Index of Current Conditions and the Index of Future Expectations improved during July compared to a month earlier, the big driver of the overall sentiment improvement was producers’ improved perspective on current conditions.

The Ag Economy Barometer rebounded in June to a reading of 126, 25 points higher than a month earlier. The barometer is based upon a nationwide monthly survey of 400 U.S. agricultural producers. Both of the barometer’s sub-indices, the Index of Current Conditions and the Index of Future Expectations, improved compared to a month earlier.

In this podcast, we discuss Titan Machinery’s renewed focus on acquisitions in the U.S., one annalist’s take on how Blue River Technology could redefine farmer input costs, a double-digit drop in farmer sentiment and mixed results in large ag equipment sales during May. In the Technology Corner, we take a look at how dealers are shifting the way they bill service support.