Monthly Monitor
A vetted group of agricultural economists provide a monthly read on the U.S. ag economy, tracked over time, providing a gauge on important industry drivers.
June 2026 · Latest report
June Report at a Glance
The June panel reads as a holding pattern with a hard floor. Not one economist expects crop agriculture to reach broadly profitable margins within 12 months, and half say it will take three to five years. The Ag Economy Index slipped to 50 — down from 61 in May — as a new threat, New World screwworm, moved onto the cattle radar.
Report Archive
View every Ag Economists Monthly Monitor published since January 2025.
About the Ag Economist Monthly Monitor
The Ag Economists Monthly Monitor is administered by Farm Journal and published on AgWeb. Each survey is administered to a vetted list of agricultural economists from across the United States.
Three of those questions repeat every survey, so changes can be tracked over time: current conditions vs. the prior month, current conditions vs. a year ago and the panel's outlook for the next twelve months. The trend chart plots those three categories. The composite sentiment index is a rebase of the four response shares to a single 0–100 number.
Responses are anonymous. Economists give the unvarnished view they cannot always offer with their name attached, and the panel composition is broad enough to cover crop, livestock, policy and ag finance perspectives. Reporting and analysis are produced by the AgWeb editorial team and overviews are aired on AgDay, AgriTalk and U.S. Farm Report.
In the News
Media Coverage
Findings from the Ag Economists Monthly Monitor covered by national newsrooms, farm-country radio, and agricultural policy outlets.