Rural bank executives in Iowa and nine surrounding states surveyed monthly by Creighton University see economic improvement in August compared to July. Creighton’s “Rural Mainstreet Index” for Iowa advanced nearly five points, but the Iowa bank C-E-Os surveyed indicated a slight downturn in hiring and a drop in farmland prices in August compared to July. Creighton economist Ernie Goss says corn and soybean prices are improving, which is lifting the rural economy.
Cattle prices have fallen after President Trump announced he’ll allow more beef imports for 90 days to produce ground beef at a discounted price for consumers
In early 2025 the U-S-D-A imposed a ban on live cattle imports from Mexico due to concerns about a deadly parasite called the New World Screwworm. The agency lifted that embargo last week. Goss says so far this year exports of Iowa livestock and agriculture goods are up more than six percent. Ag exports from Iowa to Japan are up 24-and-a-half percent compared to 2025.
