Farm Financials Better than Expected

An agricultural lender says farmers are finding ways to make it through the slower ag economy.

Tyler Martin with Compeer Financial says interest rates are higher than before but also closer to normal. “I’ve only been in the industry about 15 to 20 years, and at the end of the day, interest rates are about right where I was when I entered so we’re back up to what I would call an average interest rate, historically.”

Martin says most farmers have found the cost of money has been more manageable than expected.  He says many producers also have better bottom lines than expected. “We were worried that we would see, you know, true negative net incomes from last year’s crop year. We really have not seen that as financials have started coming in.”        

According to Martin, there was more concern about farm financials two to three months ago when there was more fear of the commodity markets falling, but he says most producers are able to make essential purchases.

EDITOR’S TAKE:

These comments underscore what we have been saying for some time. Yes, there are sectors of agriculture not doing as well as others, i.e. crops vs. livestock. That said, overall, net farm income remains above the historical five-year average. The ag lender also states that farmers/ranchers are finding ways to make essential purchases. By essential we don’t just mean fertilizer and seed, but also things like tractors, combines and trucks. Farmers, on average, purchase nearly a million trucks year in and year out. Make sure you keep your prospect list up-to-date with farmers/ranchers at the top of that list. Also, maintain your inventory on AgTruckTrader.com®.