Farm Bill Delays Squeeze Arkansas Farms
Senator John Boozman expects a Farm Bill to pass before year end as Arkansas farm closures mount.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Agriculture
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Approximately 25% of Arkansas farms have shuttered in the last 18 months as the federal government has not passed a Farm Bill since 2018. U.S. Senator John Boozman said he believes a Farm Bill will pass before the end of the year.
Why it matters
Farmers face surging input costs from record diesel and fertilizer prices, along with pressure from trade wars, tariffs, and shrinking international markets. The price points in the 2018 Farm Bill were based on 2012 figures, leaving the sector without updated federal support.
Arkansas rice acres dropped to 730,000 this year, a nearly 30% decrease from the prior year. Farmers in the state are estimated to receive nearly $1 billion under improved farm safety net programs ARC and PLC, though the extraction does not specify how those payments will be distributed across operations.
The players
John Boozman
U.S. Senator John Boozman expressed belief that a Farm Bill will pass before the end of the year.
Donald Trump
Current President of the United States, whose war with Iran has been linked to record diesel and fertilizer prices affecting farmers.
The details
The Working Families Tax Cuts Act improved the ARC and PLC farm safety net programs, and Arkansas farmers are estimated to receive nearly $1 billion under them. Drought and low water levels on the Mississippi River have also affected farmers this harvest, adding to pressures on the state's agricultural sector.
Timeline
2012: Price points in the 2018 Farm Bill were based on data from this year.
2018: The last Farm Bill was signed into law.
2023: Lawmakers were slated to pass a new Farm Bill but did not do so.
Last 18 months: About 25% of Arkansas farms shuttered.
End of 2026: Boozman expects a Farm Bill to pass.
Market Landscape
The 2018 Farm Bill, whose price points rest on 2012 figures, remains the governing framework even as Arkansas farms close and rice acreage contracts. Rising rice imports compound the pressure on domestic growers whose support programs have not been fully updated since that bill.
Farmers who depend on the ARC and PLC safety net programs stand to receive substantial payments under the improved provisions. Rising diesel and fertilizer costs continue to raise the expense of running a farm operation this season.
The takeaway
Farm policy written around 2012 economics is being tested by today's input costs and trade pressures. Readers tracking Arkansas agriculture should watch whether a new Farm Bill arrives before year end.
Further reading
For broader coverage of the sector, see Agriculture news in Arkansas.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Talk Business & Politics.
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