March 27, 2020
With practically no early planting, COVID-19 impacts on rice, if any, remain to be seen
By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- As wet weather continues, early-planting window passes
- Market effects likely to put Arkansas rice above 1.5 million acres in 2020
- With planting at a standstill, pandemic’s effects on farming unknown
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LITTLE ROCK — Finally, some rice is in the ground. Barely.
Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said Thursday that a handful of growers began water-seeding rice, a technique that typically accounts for about 5 percent of all rice acreage in the state.
“That’s the very first rice planted in Arkansas to my knowledge,” Hardke said. “But beyond that, we’re still staring at a very difficult time to get any other rice in the ground.”
The window for early-planted rice has nearly passed, with hardly a break in the wet weather that has plagued the state for most of the past 18 months. Since Jan. 1, much of the state has received about 150 percent of its typical rainfall for the three-month window, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The near future forecast doesn’t look much different, with next week’s temperatures dropping back into the 60s, and more rainfall expected.
Will 2020 be a big year?
Nevertheless, 2020 still holds the potential to be a big year for Arkansas rice acreage, Hardke said, likely exceeding 1.5 million acres.
“It continues to point up,” he said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has conducted surveys of growers over the past two weeks, he said — the same period in which the COVID-19 pandemic has seized much of the world’s attention, leading in part to panic-buying of rice and other staples in the United States. Simultaneously, soybean and corn contract prices have dropped, while rice prices have remained relatively stable.
Market prices weigh heavily on growers’ acreage allocation decisions, and 2020 is likely to be no different.
“In theory, some of that shift in intention will show up in the prospective planting report,” Hardke said. “Given everything else that’s happened, 1.5 million acres, assuming we have the opportunity to plant it, is actually at the low end of my expectations.”
Hardke said that, as of yet, the coronavirus pandemic has had no identifiable effect of the mechanics of farming itself — although the continued delays in planting leave the state with an open question.
“We’re just unable to really do much of anything yet,” he said. “Even preparing for the season, you’re not much going into your local retailers — everything can be done over the phone.
“Everyone seems to have most of their inputs on hand,” he said. “It doesn’t seem, at this stage, like we’re going to run into major issues. But it is something everyone’s concerned about, should things continue to drag on. The first week when the weather opens up enough for us to do anything, it’s going to be a pretty good barometer of how the pandemic might affect farming. We just don’t have that information yet.”
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @AR_Extension.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media contact:
Ryan McGeeney
Communications Services
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2120
rmcgeeney@uada.edu