Rural Confidence Survey

How farmers see the future

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.

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Farmer confidence in the broader agri economy has fallen and now sits at a new record low reading.
Among the more than three-quarters of farmers expecting agri industry conditions to worsen in the year ahead, the major concerns cited were falling commodity prices (54 per cent), rising input costs (46 per cent) and government policy (35 per cent).
Farmers’ confidence in their own farm business performance also fell to a new record low reading off the back of plummeting sentiment among dairy farmers and sheep and beef farmers.
Growers bucked the downwards trend and were significantly more optimistic about the performance of their own operations.
Farmers’ self-assessment of their own farm business viability decreased, while investment intentions were also lower.

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2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

Rural Confidence Survey Archive 2017

Rural Confidence Survey Archive 2016

Rural Confidence Survey Archive 2015

Rural Confidence Survey Archive 2014

Rural Confidence Survey Archive 2013

Rural Confidence Survey Archive 2012