After the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady for the third month in a row, an agricultural economist detected a shift that could signal rate declines for 2024. Dave Widmar of Agricultural Economic Insights says gains have been made in the battle against inflation. The result could be three rate declines in the new year.

The economist reminds farmers that long-term interest rates are more impactful on the farm economy than short-term. Even as inflation curbs, Widmar can’t say the same for the overall cost of production heading into 2024.

Read more on interest rates and farm economy predictions here.