Economic Outlook
Recent Survey Results
Rural Mainstreet Index Expands to Two-Year High
Tariffs Are Top Banker Issue
June 2026 Survey Results at-a-Glance:
- The region’s overall reading climbed to its highest level since July 2023.
- More than half of bank CEOs reported that small business growth in their service area was stable, while four of 10 indicated modest business declines.
- When asked to name the top federal action needed to drive farm and ranch income higher:
- Nearly 41.9% named lowering global tariffs.
- Approximately, 26.3% reported passage of a 5-year farm bill.
- Roughly 16.0% identified another federal bridge assistance program.
- Approximately,15.8% identified approving the use of year-round E-15.
- Bank CEOs estimated average cash rent per acre for farmland at $251 per acre, almost flat from June 2022’s value of $250 per acre.
- According to the most recent trade data from the International Trade Association (ITA), regional exports of agriculture goods and livestock for the first four months of 2026, compared to the same period in 2025, climbed by 4.8% to $3.86 billion.
- ITA data indicate that the regional export of agriculture goods and livestock to China for the first four months of 2026, compared to the same period in 2024, remained down by 68.0%.
