US farmer sentiment weakens further

WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA, US — Farmer sentiment in the United States weakened ­again in March as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer fell 8 points to a reading of 117. The barometer’s sub-indices also declined 8 points in March, leaving the Current Conditions Index at 126 and the Future Expectations Index at 113. “Rising interest rates and weaker prices for key commodities including wheat, corn, and soybeans from mid-February through mid-March were key factors behind this month’s lower sentiment reading,” said James Mintert, the barometer’s principal investigator and director of Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture. “Although the March…