Dry weather continues to drive Arkansas soybean, rice harvest at record pace

Charting harvest progress in Arkansas. | UADA graph by Scott Stiles

By MARY HIGHTOWER | University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

Arkansas’ soybean harvest is moving at a record pace for this time of year, according to the Crop Progress report issued this week from the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

“At 27 percent complete, the soybean harvest for the week is the fastest on record,” said Scott Stiles, extension economics program associate for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

“Most of the crop that has been harvested so far was planted during March and April,” Jeremy Ross, extension soybean agronomist for UADA, said on Wednesday. “I was on the phone with a farmer in southeastern Arkansas this morning who is getting ready to harvest soybean fields planted the first week of May.”

The harvested crop has been a mixed bag, “with some good yields and some below average,” he said.

Looking ahead, “the 10-day forecast is predicting high temperatures to drop some, but still in the mid- to upper 90s, with very little rainfall predicted, which will continue to drive the soybean crop to mature quicker than normal,” Ross said.

Corn is 80% harvested, and Stiles said that while NASS has only tracked Arkansas corn harvest progress since 2014, “at this point in the year, this is the fastest since 2016, which was 83% harvested at this time.”

“Corn harvest is getting close to the end rows for the year,” said Jason Kelley, wheat and feed grains agronomist for UADA. “Harvest weather has been great, allowing producers to get harvested earlier than typical without weather delays. 

“Yields have been average to exceptional, depending on location across the state,” he said. “The recent unexpected price bump at harvest has been very welcome and will help out with the high input prices endured this year.” 

Rice harvest is more than half complete at 53%, just behind 2024’s 56% rate.

“Rice harvest looks to continue at one of the fastest paces on record with the given forecast,” said Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for UADA. “While most yields have been reported as strong, more variability continues to turn up as each week goes by. Continued extreme dry weather conditions are weighing down milling yields, meaning growers will be receiving a lower price for yet another year.”

While NASS didn’t report any cotton harvested yet, Stiles said that at some farms in the southern counties, “a little tuning up and setting the pickers is underway.” 

Fifty-six percent of the crop has open bolls, which is ahead of last year’s 49% and the five-year average of 53%.   

Cotton growers are on a countdown to the start of harvest, and Stiles said he expected “harvest to be eight to 10 days ahead of last year for most.”

“Defoliation has started, and I expect harvest to commence before the end of the month,” said Zachary Treadway, extension cotton and peanut agronomist for UADA. “The hot and dry weather will aid in defoliation and should limit regrowth, which would allow for a more efficient harvest season.”

Additionally, “peanut harvest will begin in the coming weeks, and if the dry weather holds, we could have a large percentage of the crop out by October,” Treadway said. “It will all be dependent on Mother Nature.”

Diesel prices

“Harvest is not getting any less expensive,” Stiles said. “Diesel prices are at the highest levels of the year. One grower mentioned today his local supplier quoted him $5.25 per gallon for farm diesel. 

“Based on the NYMEX lead month futures, diesel prices are up 104% over last year,” he said. NYMEX is the New York Mercantile Exchange.