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Ag issues have Arkansas farmer re-evaluating crop plan
An Arkansas farmer says uncertainties around weather, trade and the impacts of coronavirus are making him re-evaluate which crops he plants this year.
Jim Carroll is Chair of the United Soybean Board and farms a mix of cotton, rice, soybeans and corn in eastern Arkansas.
“The rivers have been high this winter and I’ve noticed they are starting to rise again. I think that weather is a concern to a farmer every day, but there is a lot more to it now. We’ve got some of these other issues popping up that we didn’t have on our radar two months ago when we were planning and getting loans and that type of stuff.”
He tells Brownfield farmers in his area must take all of those factors into consideration when deciding how much of each crop to plant.
“We started years ago with cotton, transferred into rice, and when ethanol came on, we transferred into corn. We are always looking for a new rotation and an opportunity to better out farm.”
Carroll says 2018 and 2019 were two of the roughest years he had on the farm.
“It was a nightmare. More mud and rain and ruts and things than I have ever had to contend with. This year in Arkansas it is already raining, so we are kind of starting the year off that way, but I hope that changes and we get to some normalcy, whatever that is.”
Brownfield interviewed Carroll at Commodity Classic in San Antonio last week.
Interview with Jim Carroll
The post Ag issues have Arkansas farmer re-evaluating crop plan appeared first on Voice Of Muscatine.
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