Trade tensions, market volatility, the weather; it’s a challenging time in agriculture as farmers weather several storms, both figuratively and literally. According to Dr. David Kohl, professor emeritus with the Virginia Tech Agricultural and Applied Economics Department, farmers are focusing in on the factors they can control. Distractions are easy in this type of environment. “Any trade deal is going to be very temporary. China has taken a ‘wait and see’ attitude and there are issues in Mexico, too,” says Kohl. “Don’t bet your farm in stability because of a trade agreement.” While much of the focus is on the big-ticket items impacting ag, Kohl cautions farmers to not overlook what’s going on behind the scenes. One of those items is China’s belt and road initiative. “Since 2013, they’ve made about $240 billion in infrastructure investments in South America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Africa.” Hear more on trade, the lenders’ perspective and positives in the ag economy in the full interview.