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How farmers see the future

Rural Confidence Survey

For over fifteen years we have worked together with an independent research organisation to have access to up to date insights into what the farming community is thinking and how they respond to the ever changing conditions. To do this, we conduct a Rural Confidence Survey, interviewing an average of 450 farmers across New Zealand on a quarterly basis. Monitoring outlook and general sentiment in the country's major agricultural industries, it is one of the most robust studies of its type.

VIEW LATEST RESULTS

Latest Survey Results: September Quarter 2024

 
  • Farmer confidence in the broader agri economy has risen strongly and is now at net positive levels for the first time since quarter four of 2021.
  • Among farmers with a positive outlook on the agri economy, higher commodity prices (40 per cent), and falling interest rates (31 per cent) were the major sources of optimism. Rising input costs (48 per cent) remained the major concern identified by those looking less favourably at the year ahead.
  • Farmers across all sectors were also now more positive about the prospects for their own businesses, with each of the three major sector groupings (dairy farmers, sheep and beef farmers and horticulturalists) recording net positive readings on this measure.
  • The number of farmers self-assessing their own farm business as ‘unviable’ was similar to last quarter (eight per cent from seven per cent previously) however more farmers now assess their operations as ‘viable’ or ‘easily viable’.
  • The net reading for farmer investment intentions rose marginally and is now at net positive levels overall.