Conditions facing U.S. agriculture were “little changed overall” compared with late October, according to the Fed’s Beige Book, but conditions remain “strained by weather and low crop prices.”
The report, issued two weeks prior to the next rate-setting meeting for the Federal Reserve, also offers comments from individual Fed Districts.
The Chicago Fed indicated that “early frost and snow further delayed this year’s harvest and diminished yields.” Plus, there were concerns about crop quality. “Contacts noted that demand for pork from China had grown despite U.S. tariffs because African swine fever had decimated China's hog herd,” the Chicago Fed noted. “More generally, contacts reported a pickup in overall agricultural exports, with some noting that news on trade negotiations sounded promising for future exports. Farm incomes generally are expected to be down from last year, although government payments from the Market Facilitation Program will provide some support.”
The St. Louis Fed reported conditions were basically unchanged from the October report. “Production levels for corn, rice, and soybeans are expected to be significantly lower than in 2018, while that for cotton is expected to increase modestly,” the bank said. “District contacts continued to express concerns over depressed agriculture commodity prices.”
The Minneapolis Fed noted difficult conditions for the ag sector. “District agricultural conditions declined from an already weak position,” the report noted. “Roughly three in five lenders responding to the Minneapolis Fed's third-quarter (October) survey of agricultural credit conditions reported that farm incomes decreased in the third quarter relative to a year earlier, with a similar proportion reporting decreased capital spending.”
Similarly, the Kansas City fed noted conditions in ag remained “weak” and “agricultural credit conditions deteriorated slightly.”
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