Farmers are staring down another season of uncertainty as trade tensions, volatile markets and rising production costs continue to pressure the agricultural economy, says ag economist John Newton of Terrain. 

At the center of concern are tariffs — particularly those placed on China — that Newton says have shaken confidence across the farm sector. With China accounting for more than one-half of U.S. soybean exports annually, any disruption to trade poses serious risks for Midwest farmers, Newton said. 

“Farmers right now (are) putting a crop in the ground and trying to consider how many acres of soybeans do we need and consider is China going to be there when we harvest the crops this fall,” said Newton, who leads a team of...