Arkansas farmers say record yields leading to lost money are leaving many feeling there is no way out of a crisis for state agriculture.
A legislative subcommittee meeting in Stuttgart on Tuesday revealed nothing short of disaster for Arkansas’ top industry, with many row crop farmers looking at yet another year of loss, despite some having more produce than ever.
Hunter Biram, Assistant Professor of Agribusiness at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, says that nearly all row crops are losing money, with peanuts being the only product that is projected to turn a profit.
"This is bad news. This is bad news for farm country, because we are seeing that even with government assistance, we are not going to be able to pay our total expenses across the state," Biram said. "So we are going to hit the third consecutive year of negative net farm income. So we are continuing to eat away at any equity that has been built up during those post-covid years."
While Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies are spiking across the South, Arkansas is leading the nation and there seems to be no relief in sight.
"From through quarter one and quarter two of this year, we are seeing we are still leading the way in those Chapter 12 bankruptcies, and we have even more than we had last year," said Biram. "And again, this is just through quarter two of [2025,] we still have two quarters to go."
Kirk Vansandt, Chief Agriculture Lending Officer with Farmers and Merchants Bank, says current estimates show there could be a significant exodus from Arkansas agriculture within the next year.
"The common numbers were 25% to 40%. Now, me personally, I think it's one out of three people if nothing happens. It's that dire, and there are not... those other two-thirds cannot pick all that land up.”
Vansandt says while changes to the “Big Beautiful Bill” have offered some protection, it is too little, too late to avoid the looming crisis.
"There was a much stronger farm safety net included in that, and chances are, this year it will trigger. Now, there is a difference in when you hit the trigger and when you get the cash. So farmers will not get the cash until October of 2026."
Ross Wood, retail operations manager of Stratton Seed, spoke on the retail side of farm operations. He noted that many farmers are already looking to purchase equipment and other implements to sustain the next growing season. He said that the cash coming that late will do nothing to help state farmers decide if they can sustain themselves another season.
Because of this and other factors, the UA Extension projects that one million additional farm acres will lay fallow next year.
Sydney Robinett is a fifth-generation farmer who spoke at the subcommittee meeting. He said that no matter how hard the farmers work and no matter how much they produce, there is no path for them to make a profit.
"We sit there every spring, as farmers, we meet with our bankers, and say 'Okay, well, what looks good, what doesn't look good?' This year everything looked bad. Last year in 2024, there's farmers out there that had the best crop they have ever had and they lost money on all of it," said Robinett. "And I tell you, it's a sorry thing. You're cutting 200 bushel of rice and you're losing money? 200 bushels of corn and you're losing money? What's that do to a person?"
"Honestly I don't care who you vote for, that's your decision, but we have got to come together here," added Robinett. "Whether or not there's a trade dispute, that's not up to me. There's not much I can do about that. Hopefully they come up with something, but I wish they didn't have to."
Speakers said significant, immediate action would be needed to stop the upcoming crisis.
Suggestions made to the committee included immediate assistance funding, tax breaks on purchases necessary to sustain the next growing season, or further renegotiations on trade deals could all be possible options to rebooting the industry.
