By Carah Hart 

Jarrod Hardke with the University of Arkansas tells Brownfield “when it starts raining April 15 and the lucky ones got a day here and there to plant the following eight weeks. That was the train we were on for two solid months.”

Hardke says some of the rice acres went to prevent plant or shifted to soybeans. But he says the rice that got planted looks good, overall.

“We’re entering the part of the year where some of the heat could stand to back off,” he says. “It’s really staying steady and we’re seeing imperfections from the difficult early season management.”

USDA says Arkansas farmers planted 1.26 million acres of rice, fewer acres than expected in the March report.

Published Date: July 1, 2025