Wow! If you watch the headlines in the dairy industry, you’ll note that there are a tremendous number of changes going on. Exports are up in some markets. Others are down. Block cheese prices are up, but barrels are down. The trade balance is changing, and our recent government shutdown is impacting some reports we receive. However, while all of this is true and likely of interest to you, there is another factor that you might just want to look at – interest rates. They represent an area that has not received a lot of attention lately, simply because they have been so low since 2008’s financial crisis.

Back in 2010, I recall writing an article that asked the very same question I listed in the title of this blog: Will You Be Ready? Ready for what, you might be asking, and my answer would be ready for the higher levels of profitability that await us in the next several years.

As you probably already know, the new Dairy Revenue Protection Program was introduced in early November. Is this the answer we’ve all been looking for? I don’t see it as the whole answer to our industry challenges. However, it does represent another tool to use in setting minimum milk prices. Like any other existing tool, it can only benefit you if you learn how to use it and then, most importantly, take appropriate action to move forward.