(OMAHA, NE) — For the first time since July and August of 2023, the Rural Mainstreet Index, a survey of bankers in areas that rely on agriculture, registered two consecutive months of above growth-neutral readings. It’s the highest level for the RMI since July 2023.
Bankers reported very low farm loan delinquency rates over the past six months. Unfortunately, one in four farmers is expected to experience negative income in 2025. For the 13th time in the past 14 months, farmland prices sank below growth neutral. Farm equipment sales dropped below growth neutral for the 22nd straight month.
According to Jeff Bonnett, President of Havana National Bank in Havana, Ill., “Until ag commodity prices move to above breakeven, especially for corn and soybeans, I will continue in my bearish outlook for our 100% Ag dependent local economy here in West Central Illinois.”
Regional exports of agricultural goods and livestock for the first four months of 2025, compared to the same period last year, fell from $4.5 billion in 2024 to $3.7 billion in 2025, for a decline of 18.5 percent. Mexico was the top destination for regional ag exports, accounting for 55.1 percent of total exports. Read the full report here: https://www.creighton.edu/economicoutlook/mainstreeteconomy
