REDWOOD FALLS — Gov. Tim Walz says he wants Minnesota farmers to know his administration is taking steps to ease their financial worries during the U.S. trade war with China.

Walz headed to the annual FarmFest near Redwood Falls on Tuesday. The Democratic governor intends to use the giant farm expo to get a better idea of the challenges facing Minnesota’s farmers.

But Walz cautions that trade policy “comes through the executive branch through the president.”  President Donald Trump recently escalated the trade war with China.

Minnesota Public Radio News reports Walz told an audience at FarmFest that he wants the state’s two dozen state agencies to work together to meet the needs of rural Minnesota.

Walz is planning for a likely trade trip to Japan in September with the Midwest Governors Association.