By Joana Colussi and Michael Langemeier et.al
Despite facing similar pressures on farm finances, such as high input costs and low commodity prices, farmers in the United States and Argentina see the years ahead quite differently. This is one of the key findings from the first direct comparison of two established producer sentiment surveys: the Purdue University–CME Group Ag Economy Barometer in the United States and the Austral Ag Barometer in Argentina. In this article, we bring together data from the two barometers to compare producer perspectives in these major agricultural producers and exporters. Using a common set of questions asked during the May-June 2026 period, we examine views on the crop and livestock sectors, farmland values, and the factors affecting farm financial conditions.
Data and Methods
This study uses data from two established producer sentiment surveys: the Purdue University–CME Group Ag Economy Barometer in the United States and the Austral Ag Barometer in Argentina. The U.S. barometer is a nationwide survey of U.S. agricultural producers conducted monthly since October 2015. It is based on interviews with at least 400 producers and tracks perceptions of current economic conditions, expectations for the future, and issues such as farm finances, investment expectations, farmland values, and U.S. policy and trade issues. The Austral Ag Barometer, developed by the Universidad Austral in Rosario, measures agricultural producer confidence in Argentina. Conducted every two months since 2018, the survey also includes approximately 400 producers and examines perceptions of current and future economic conditions, investment expectations, and other issues affecting Argentine agriculture.
Five common questions were included in both barometers for the May–June 2026 comparison. Because the Purdue–CME Ag Barometer is conducted monthly, responses from its May and June surveys were averaged to align with the May–June survey of the Austral Ag Barometer. For three questions – the five-year outlook for crop producers, the five-year outlook for livestock producers, and 12-month farmland price expectations – respondents selected a single response category, allowing direct comparison of response shares between the two surveys. For the questions on factors influencing farmland values and factors limiting improvements in farm financial conditions, the Austral Ag Barometer allowed respondents to select multiple factors, whereas the Purdue–CME Barometer asked respondents to identify the single most important factor. Accordingly, results for these two questions should be interpreted as comparisons of the relative importance of factors within each country rather than as directly equivalent response shares across surveys.
Source : illinois.edu