While the legacy media continue to sow fear that President Trump increasing tariffs on foreign goods will devastate the economy, the nation’s farmers overwhelmingly think the tariffs’ long-term effect will be a stronger agricultural industry, results of April’s Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer survey reveal.
“Farmer Sentiment Improves as Long-Term Optimism Outweighs Tariff Concerns,” Purdue University/CME Group headlined results of its latest monthly agricultural barometer survey of 400 U.S. agricultural producers.
Farmer sentiment improved in April as producers’ appraisal of both current conditions and their expectations for the future improved compared to March. While producers expressed concerns about the short-term effects, they voiced strong confidence in their long-term benefits, the study finds:
“Somewhat surprisingly, this month’s improvement in farmer sentiment occurred despite ongoing trade disputes with many of U.S. agriculture’s largest trading partners, including Mexico, Canada and China.
“However, producers responding to the April survey overwhelmingly reported that they expect the increased use of tariffs by the U.S. to prove beneficial to the U.S. agricultural economy in the long run, which was reflected in the Future Expectations Index‘s strengthening.”
More than three times as many producers say Trump’s tariffs will ultimately strengthen their industry as say they’ll weaken it.
“Do you expect the increased use of tariffs by the U.S. to strengthen or weaken the U.S. agricultural economy in the long run?”
- Strengthen: 70%
- Uncertain: 8%
- Weaken: 22%
"Producers seem to be gaining confidence in the ag economy's longer-term outlook in spite of concerns they have about the impact of tariffs," said Michael Langemeier, the barometer's principal investigator and director of Purdue University's Center for Commercial Agriculture.
"This month's results suggest some producers are starting to look beyond near-term uncertainty and focus more on positioning their farms for the future," Langemeier added.
Indeed, the study’s Farm Capital Investment Index of 61 is rose seven points from March, “reaching the highest investment index reading since May 2021” – apparently driven by Pres. Trump’s election last November:
“There was a marked shift in the investment index following the November 2024 election. From May through October 2024, the investment index averaged a reading of 36, while from November 2024 through April 2025, the average index value was 54 — 50% higher than during the preceding six months.”
The overall Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer climbed eight points to a reading of 148 in April, reflecting an improvement in farmers’ sentiment bolstered by increases in both the Index of Current Conditions, which rose nine points to 141, and the Index of Future Expectations, which rose eight points to 152.