Survey: Farmers Confident Now, Uncertain About Future

According to the March Agriculture Confidence Index (ACI) pre-plant survey, producers still have positive attitudes, though their rating for the next 12 months has dropped.

The ACI is designed to take the economic pulse of the agriculture industry. It is based on a survey of 500 producers, picked at random, to reflect the demographic makeup of the 2007 USDA Ag Census.

The survey is conducted three times each year: pre-planting, pre-harvest and end-of-year. The index now stands at 111, a measurable dip from the 2010 end-of-year rating of 140. All scores are based relative to the initial survey in April 2010, whose index reading was recalibrated to 100 to serve as the baseline for future reference.

The Present Situation Index, which reflects current producer sentiment regarding input prices and net income, is a strong 148. The Expectations Index, which measures sentiment 12 months from now, is 91.

A full explanation of the survey and breakdown of the results can be found at AgricultureConfidenceIndex.com. ◆