Struggling Arkansas farmers are now pleading with US government to save them — many face bankruptcy, closures amid crisis. Should Trump help them?

Hundreds of farmers recently took their pleas to Arkansas’ congressional delegation in Brookland, a community in the northeastern part of the state.

“If there’s no emergency funding this year, there will be one out of three farmers who will file bankruptcy,” said Chris King, a Woodruff County farmer who attended the event.

The farmers clearly see their situation as dire. Here’s what’s going on.

Farming costs soar as profits disappear

Practically everything has gone wrong for Arkansas farmers in 2025. That includes some of the worst weather on record, like the terrible flooding [2] that killed more than 100 people across multiple states in April.

That storm also destroyed over 260,000 acres of arable farmland and resulted in $78 million in damages to crops, namely rice, according to estimates [3] by the University of Arkansas’ Division of Agriculture.

The economy is another major factor. Farmer input costs are through the roof, caused by a mixture of weather and economic conditions — namely, rising inflation and the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy.

Input costs are the expenses incurred during farming production, including fertilizers, fuel, seeds, machinery, financing, and labor. Prices for corn, soybeans and wheat have also fallen to their lowest levels since 2020, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis [4].

“This time last year, the rice price was about 40% higher than it is now,” said Derek Haigwood, a farmer from Independence. “Input costs have gone up, fertilizer has gone up, commodity prices have gotten worse. So, after a horrible year last year where most farmers in Arkansas, Delta, lost money, this year is going to be worse.”

These costs have soared since 2020, primarily due to disruptions in supply chains caused by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, resulting in higher prices for essential items such as nitrogen fertilizers and diesel fuel.

“Farmers are getting squeezed, and this makes it harder or even impossible for them to position their businesses for long-term success,” Maggie Monast, senior director of Climate-Smart Agriculture [5], wrote in a July blog post for the Environmental Defense Fund.

Multi-generational farms are in danger of closing

Agriculture is Arkansas’s largest industry, with its annual output estimated at more than $24 billion. That economic juggernaut relies on multi-generational farms — many of which are now in danger of closing.

“I’m a sixth-generation farmer from Newport, and we made the decision to go out this year, in the spring. So my son will not be the seventh generation on our farm,” one farmer told lawmakers.

The irony for farmers is that funding is there — they just can’t access it yet. Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” does provide safety net subsidies for farmers [6], but those funds aren’t available until 2026.

“We have to have ad hoc payments right now to make it through this year,” Haigwood said.

Farmers like Trump’s tariffs

Despite the uncertainty caused by the tariffs, American farmers still see the president’s flagship policy as a long-term win.

A May survey by Purdue University of American producers found that 70% believe the tariffs will ultimately strengthen their industry [7].

However, the situation in Arkansas is urgent, farmers say. Fortunately, state lawmakers seem willing to listen and provide assistance.

“We’re going to take your message. We’re going to get it back to D.C., and we’re going to do everything we can to get you the help you need,” Gene Higginbotham, district director for Congressman Rick Crawford, told farmers at the meeting.

But for now, all the embattled farmers can do is pray, hope and wait.

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[1]. KATV Channel 7. “Hundreds of struggling Arkansas farmers ask federal government to save them”