By Meghan Grebner

Rice harvest is more than half complete for northeast Arkansas farmer Scott Matthews. “The yields have been strong,” he says.  “We’re a little worried about the quality, specifically the milling, because we had a really hot summer and sometimes hot weather, especially hot nighttime temperatures, affect the milling.”

Statewide, rice harvest is 39 percent complete, which is 15 percent behind last year’s pace.  Forty-three percent of the soybean crop is dropping leaves, and 61 percent of the crop is rated good to excellent. 

He tells Brownfield that the soybean harvest is just getting underway in some areas. “It’s the early March planting,” he says.  “It’s off a little bit; we were so hot in July and the first part of August.”

Matthews also raises corn.  He says yields are up from recent years.

Fifty percent of the cotton crop is setting bolls. Twenty-five percent of pastures are rated good to excellent.

Published Date: September 9, 2025