Ag Barometer Insights: August 2025 Survey Results, AgCast Episode 193
Farmer sentiment dipped again in August as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer Index fell 10 points to 125. Producers were markedly less optimistic about the future in August as the Index of Future Expectations dropped 16 points to 123. This was the lowest reading for the future index since last September. Purdue ag economists James Mintert and Michael Langemeier share insights into the results of the August 2025 survey, conducted from August 11-15, in this episode of the Purdue Commercial AgCast. Sentiment differed widely among producers depending on whether their farm is primarily a crop operation or a livestock operation. Responses from crop producers this month were much less optimistic than those from livestock producers, which indicates the disparity in profitability between crop and livestock enterprises. Beef cattle operations in particular are experiencing record profitability as the smallest cattle inventory since 1951 has pushed cattle prices to record levels. This stands in sharp contrast to returns for crop production which have weakened in 2025.
__ Contents of this video: __
00:00 Intro
00:48 Overview of Ag Barometer Results
04:39 Farm Financial Performance & Investments
07:48 Farmland Value & Cash Rent Expectations
11:56 Ag Exports & Trade Expectations
13:49 Farmers' Biggest Concerns
15:11 Financial Stress & Balance Sheet Strength
22:07 Right Track or Wrong Direction?
24:05 Conclusion & Resources
The Ag Economy Barometer sentiment index is calculated each month from 400 U.S. agricultural producers’ responses to a telephone survey. The full report is available at https://purdue.ag/agbarometer.
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