Apologies for the delay linking, it appeared and almost immediately disappeared into the link-vault.
From Creighton University's Heider College of Business, April 21:
April Survey Results at a Glance:
- The overall index moved above growth neutral for the 17th straight month indicating healthy, consistent growth for the region.
- Farmland prices continue to grow at the fastest pace since the 2006 launch of Creighton’s Bank CEO survey.
- Regarding President Biden’s emergency waiver of summer ethanol E-15, fewer than 4 of 10 bankers, or 39.1%, expect the move to have a positive impact.
- On average, bank CEOs estimated that 2.3% of farmers have been involved in cryptocurrency transactions in the past 12 months.
- More than 9 of 10 bankers expect the Federal Reserve to raise short-term interest rates by one-half of one percentage point at its May 3-4 meetings.
- Farm equipment sales continue to expand at a robust pace.
OMAHA, Neb. (April 21, 2022) — The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) fell from March’s healthy reading and remained above growth neutral for the 17th straight month, according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.
Overall: The region’s overall reading for April declined to 62.0 from March’s 65.4. The index ranges between 0 and 100 with a reading of 50.0 representing growth neutral.
“The region recorded a 34% gain in farm commodity prices over the past 12 months, but low short-term interest rates and healthy farm income have underpinned the Rural Mainstreet Economy,” said Ernie Goss, PhD, Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business.
This month bankers were asked to forecast the impact of President Biden’s emergency waiver on the summer production of E-15 ethanol. Fewer than 4 of 10 bankers, or 39.1%, expect the move to have a positive impact. More than half, or 56.5%, expect the waiver to have little or no impact, with the remaining 4.4% anticipating a negative impact.
Farming and ranching: The region’s farmland price index for April climbed to a strong 80.0 from 78.0 in March, marking the 19th straight month that the index has moved above growth neutral. Over the past several months, the Creighton survey has registered the most consistent and strongest growth in farmland prices since the survey was launched in 2006.
Farm equipment sales: The April farm equipment-sales index declined to 67.6 from 72.2 in March. This was the 17th straight month that the index has advanced above growth neutral. Readings over the past several months are the strongest string of monthly readings recorded since the beginning of the survey in 2006....
....MUCH MORE
