(WEST LAFAYETTE, IN) Ag producer sentiment in May dropped to its lowest level since October 2016, erasing all improvements recorded following the November 2016 election. The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer, based on a mid-month survey of 400 agricultural producers across the U.S., declined 14 points in May to a reading of 101, down from 115 in April. The decline in the barometer came about because producers’ perspectives on both current and future economic conditions worsened considerably compared to a month earlier. The Large Farm Investment Index, which measures producers’ attitudes toward making large investments in their farming operation, has ebbed and flowed over the past year; however, since the beginning of 2019, the index has trended significantly lower. In May, just 18% of farmers stated it was a “good time” to make large farm investments while 81% stated it was a “bad time,” pushing the investment index down to a reading of 37. This is the lowest Large Farm Investment Index reading since the Ag Economy Barometer’s October 2015 inception.