This past week, the U.S. Federal Reserve voted to raise a key interest rate by a half point. This has received a noticeable amount of attention because it is already the second rate hike this year and the largest one-time increase since 2000.

The potential for higher interest rates is the darkest cloud shading recent news that farm debt in Canada recorded the smallest increase in six years, according to Farm Credit Canada’s (FCC) chief economist.

Like milk prices, no one can accurately predict the direction of interest rates in the future. That being said, I firmly believe farm loan interest rates will rise (and possibly sooner rather than later), and producers should have a strategy to hedge interest rate risk.