Rabobank's chief executive comments on the bank's latest rural confidence survey which sees 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.