In the CSI columns we rely heavily on the results from our proprietary surveys. This provides current information and data specific to our subscribers and the businesses we interact with. It is also valuable to aggregate information from other resources. This allows us to corroborate the data we generate and provide context to the information we generate.
When looking at broader industry data it is critical to remember that most data looks at wider categories within the industry and may not be granular enough to be applied directly to a specific niche. That said, here are some nuggets from other data sources with attributions to allow you to return to them in the future.
The health and market sentiment for agriculture has an obvious relationship to the types of construction covered in Rollforming Magazine. Purdue University is a great source of agricultural industry information and market sentiment. They issue a monthly Ag Economy Barometer and conduct an annual Producer Survey.
The June Barometer result (released June 3, 2025) is 146. Lower than May 2025, but the third highest since May 2021. Find the Ag Economy Barometer on the Bloomberg Terminal [https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/]: AGECBARO, AGECCURC and AGECFTE.
The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer is a nationwide measure of the health of the U.S. agricultural economy.
One interesting chart for Rollforming Magazine readers is the outlook over the next 5 years for livestock vs. crops. Both utilized roll formed components but with differences. For example livestock operations require more extensive ventilation and protection from condensation. 64% of livestock producers anticipate “good times” compared to only 35% of crop producers.
Despite general optimism, respondents are somewhat hesitant regarding farm building purchase. The graph of the data is titled “Plans for Farm Building Purchases in the Upcoming Year Compared to a Year Ago.” Despite the title specifying “Compared to a Year Ago,” the numbers are stable over the last two years. This could be an indication of general sentiment rather than an actual year-over-year comparison.
Another data set explores the “Primary Reason Now is a Bad Time to Make Large Investments.” The data for May 2025 presents an interesting anomaly, the answer “Increase in prices for farm machinery and new construction” is the highest in the data presented in the table. Interestingly it dropped from 49 to 40 for June. One positive note is that since June 2024 to June 2025, concern over interest rates dropped from 41 to 16.
According to the data from Purdue University, the outlook for agriculture and ag construction appears significantly more positive than it has for four years.
More information and the charts provided can be found at https://ag.purdue.edu/commercialag/ageconomybarometer/charts/
