Updated

Updated · hutchpost.com · Jun 27

Rural Mainstreet Index Falls to 45.7 for 4th Month Below 50 as Farm Costs Stay High

Updated

Updated · hutchpost.com · Jun 27

Rural Mainstreet Index Falls to 45.7 for 4th Month Below 50 as Farm Costs Stay High

1 articles · Updated · hutchpost.com · Jun 27

May's Rural Mainstreet Index dropped to 45.7, signaling contraction across Midwest rural communities for a fourth straight month below the growth-neutral 50 mark.
Low commodity prices and elevated input costs — including higher fuel bills — continued to squeeze farm profitability and spill into the broader rural business economy.
Nearly 48% of surveyed rural bankers said farmers' financial conditions worsened from a year earlier, while the farm equipment sales index sank to 18.2 for a 33rd consecutive month below growth neutral.
First-quarter agricultural exports from the 10-state region rose 7.5% from a year earlier, with shipments to China jumping nearly 77%, offering one of the few bright spots.

Sources

If official farm bankruptcies are rare, what is the hidden toll on smaller farms and local businesses?

Why are rural economies shrinking when agricultural exports to countries like China are booming?

With costs tied to global conflict, how can Midwest agriculture break its cycle of economic volatility?

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