There are growing calls for emergency financial assistance for Arkansas farmers. It follows what some may characterize as a perfect storm of circumstances which have left an alarming number of farming operations in precarious financial situations. That ‘storm’ of mitigating factors that has wreaked havoc on families working their land includes a number of bad weather events in 2025, rising costs in farming, the plunging of commodity pricing, and all the uncertainty caused by the tariff dispute between the United States and China. Arkansas leads the country in rice production and ranks among the top producers for cotton, soybeans and poultry. But as Little Rock Public Radio reports, instead of having to repeat an extended fight on tariff rates like was the case in 2018, this time China has chosen instead to buy more soybeans from Brazil, leaving out Arkansas’ farmers. That’s where The Agricultural Council of Arkansas, comes into the picture. The council is a lobbying firm that went to Washington, D.C. to ask members of Arkansas’ congressional delegation of four U.S. representatives:
- District 1: Rick Crawford - R-Jonesboro;
- District 2: French Hill – R-Little Rock
- District 3: Steve Womack – R-Rogers
- District 4: Bruce Westerman – R-Hot Springs
And two U.S. senators:
- Tom Cotton – R-Junior senator
- John Boozman – R-Senior senator
Farmers and their advocates asked these elected leaders to provide any and all help they may be able to provide. And the stakes couldn’t be much higher. According to the Ag Council of Arkansas, under the current circumstances, one in three farms in the state could close.
In a recent interview with the statewide, syndicated radio program Talk Business & Politics, Ag Council of Arkansas President Joe Mencer explained that the agricultural sector is projected to lose $1.4 billion this season. Mencer said farm failures would be just the beginning of a potential agricultural financial disaster.
Next, he said, would come enormous pressures on smaller, community banks, some of which would likely be forced to close, along with ag equipment stores, for example, and other retailers which rely on the ag industry to help generate their own revenue streams to stay in business.
The “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” are expected to provide a host of essential, updated safety net subsidies for farmers. But farmers will likely not see those dollars until late next year. That is just one more reason why there’s such a strong push for emergency assistance right now.
For some context, to understand the full importance and scale of agriculture in Arkansas, it is the single largest industry in the state, generating roughly $16 billion annually to the economy and employing well over a quarter of a million people. And, according to the Farm Bureau of Arkansas, the state is home to just under 50,000 farms, 97% of which are family-owned. This fact highlights the true nature of farming in this state where homesteads are handed down from one generation to the next, and inheritance of land and of so-called 'sweat equity.' In turn, farming in Arkansas is largely a family affair, and thus a uniquely personal endeavor for such a large industry as a whole.
Such information helps understand the enormous mental toll farmers and their families must endure year in and year out. Between the droughts, the tornadoes, the rain, storms, flooding, and so on. Farmers will tell you at length that nothing is ever easy, and nothing is ever guaranteed. Add price instability, inflation and a tariff dispute and it has all the makings of a living nightmare, which is materializing as farmers had expected.
Mental health advocates say multiple studies show that farmer suicide rates are 2-5 times higher than the national average, when facing such persistent and extreme pressures.
Arkansas is addressing this issue head on with programs to help distressed farmers and families. If you or someone you know is in crisis then the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7, with trained counselors who can help people. People can call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for themselves or if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
