The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index climbed above growth neutral in May for the fourth-straight month. The index surveys bank CEOs in rural areas across a ten-state region that depends …
RVP Period Begins Friday as Fuel Prices Climb Higher
Friday is the beginning of the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) restriction on E15 sales across most of the country during the summer driving season. The restriction runs from June 1 …
USDA Reopens Application Period for Producers Recovering from Cattle Loss, Other Disasters
Signup Begins June 4 for Livestock Indemnity Program and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin accepting disaster assistance program …
Brazil Truck Drivers Quit Working Because of High Diesel Prices
Brazilian truck drivers were protesting high diesel prices for a fourth day this week on Thursday. The truckers don’t plan to quit with blockades until measures to reduce fuel taxes …
Rural Mainstreet Index Chief Eyeing Two Economic Red Flags
The Rural Mainstreet Index has been steadily climbing over the last four months, signaling improving conditions in farm country. However, the man behind the RMI, Ernie Goss from Creighton University, …
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue: “Trump Administration Stands Behind Ag Producers”
“My message to rural America is always the same: President Trump hears you and is working to make your life better.” Trump Administration Stands Behind Ag Producers By Secretary Sonny …
John Deere Raising Prices to Cover Steel Costs
Deere & Company is raising equipment prices in order to protect profits as costs rise. The farm and construction machinery manufacturer says profits were up 50 percent and equipment sales …
Farm Income, Credit, Weakening
Farm income and credit conditions continued to weaken in the first quarter of 2018, but at a slower pace than in previous quarters. According to the Tenth District Survey of …
St. Louis Fed Survey Shows Farm Income Down Once Again
Farm income declined in the first quarter of 2018, the 17th-consecutive quarter of lower income numbers. The latest Agricultural Finance Monitor, published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, …
Food Price Index up 2.7 Percent
The Global Food Price Index has increased two percent since this time last year. Released last week, the monthly record of global food prices by the Food and Agriculture Organization …
Farm Credit Loan Volume up One Percent
Combined net income for the Farm Credit System increased 1.8 percent to $1.27 billion for the first quarter of 2018, as compared with $1.24 billion for the same period last …
Farm Loan Rates Edging Higher
Interest rates on most types of farm loans continued to move higher. A Kansas City Fed report says, following modest increases in short-term rates, commercial banks raised interest rates on …
First Insurance Service for Indoor Farmers Launched
Indoor farmers now have an insurance option to fit their needs. Contain Inc, an alternate finance business for indoor agriculture, has launched an insurance service for indoor farmers in collaboration …
Farm Bureau to Offer Dairy Revenue Protection Insurance
The American Farm Bureau Federation, in cooperation with American Farm Bureau Insurance Services, has developed a new risk-management insurance product for dairy farmers. Approved by the Agriculture Department’s Federal Crop …