Rural Mainstreet Index below growth-nuetral for 12th staright month.

Survey Results at a Glance: For a 12th straight month, the Rural Mainstreet Index fell below growth neutral. Farmland prices remained below growth neutral for the 33rd consecutive month. Bank CEOs expect farmland prices to fall by another 6.9 percent over the next 12 months. Approximately 56.5 percent of bank CEOs expect the Federal Reserve to raise rates before the end of 2016. Agriculture equipment sales remain close to record low.   The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index rose for August, but remained below growth neu-tral for the 12th straight month, according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy. Over the past 12 months, farm prices have fallen by 11 percent, cattle prices are off by 22 percent, and grain prices are down by 20 percent. Weak agricultural commodity prices are pushing farm income lower and sinking the overall Rural Mainstreet economy