(NAFB.com) – The Rural Mainstreet Index climbed above a growth-neutral score of 50.0 for January. That’s according to the latest monthly survey of bank CEO’s in rural areas of a ten-state region. The January index was at 52.0, its highest reading since July 2023, and up from December’s 50.1. “More than one in three bankers, or 34.7 percent, indicated that their local economy was currently in a recession,” said Dr. Ernie Goss (GAHS) of Creighton University. “Another 27 percent of them expect their local economy to experience recession conditions in the first half of 2026.” Regarding President Trump’s imposition of tariffs, almost 40 percent of the bankers support pulling back on tariffs. After rising above growth-neutral in December, the farm and ranchland index fell below the threshold in January with a reading of 46.0. The farm equipment sales index sank to a very weak 18.8, but was up from December’s even weaker 15.0.