Arkansas farmer Clay Smith described on May 19 how high diesel prices have led his family farm to plant corn in fields traditionally reserved for rice. The decision comes as the cost of irrigating rice is expected to reach $212 per acre in fuel alone, making traditional crop rotations economically unfeasible.
The issue matters because rising input costs are forcing farmers in Arkansas and elsewhere to reconsider long-standing agricultural practices. At current commodity prices, Smith said that growing rice is not profitable: “At $4 rice, the farm would need to produce 53 bushels per acre just to cover the cost of fuel, not counting seed, chemical applications, labor, equipment, time or even the water itself. There’s no hope for profit.”
Smith recalled previous years when high fuel prices were offset by higher commodity prices: “When I was younger, probably around 2012… we sold corn for $7 or $8 a bushel… and we sold soybeans for $14 to $15 a bushel. The price of commodities has not followed this time… it’s double input for us, and that’s choking everybody out.” To adapt, Smith’s family reduced their usual rice acreage from about 900 acres down to 450 and planted corn on some fields where it had never been grown before.
The switch also involves evaluating irrigation systems. Diesel-powered wells can make irrigation especially costly compared with electric wells—by up to $100 less per acre—prompting some Delta operations like Smith’s farm to shift more production onto land serviced by electric pumps. “Wells are different for everybody,” Smith said. “There’s people that don’t farm near power lines, and they’re 100% of diesel… there’s also spots in rural areas that have electric.” The idea of focusing rice only on electric well fields started as a joke but became a serious strategy as fuel expenses climbed.
Farmers across Arkansas are now weighing similar decisions about which crops they can affordably grow given current market conditions and infrastructure constraints. Farm Progress has supported agricultural communities by offering resources like market updates and educational programs; it functions as part of Informa PLC’s Informa Markets Division and distributes content through regional brands nationwide according to the official website.
As farmers continue adapting their operations amid fluctuating input costs and commodity markets, strategies such as shifting crop types or optimizing irrigation methods may become increasingly common.
