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Arkansas Rice Production Could Drop Significantly Due to Low Prices

Monday, February 23, 2026 at 3:46 PM

The nation's top rice-producing state may see a substantial reduction in planted rice acreage this spring. Agricultural lenders in Arkansas are warning that poor market prices could force farmers to cut back on rice cultivation significantly.

Agricultural financing experts are predicting a substantial reduction in rice cultivation across Arkansas this spring season, citing depressed market prices as the primary factor affecting the nation’s leading rice-producing state.

According to Greg Cole, a representative from AgHeritage Farm Credit Services, the state normally plants between 1.3 and 1.4 million acres of rice annually. However, Cole warned in an interview with Brownfield that current economic conditions could force a significant decrease in planted acreage.

“We could see rice acres” drop considerably from typical levels, Cole indicated, as farmers grapple with unfavorable pricing that makes rice cultivation less profitable compared to alternative crops.

This potential decline in Arkansas rice production could have broader implications for the national rice supply, given the state’s dominant position in American rice agriculture.

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