Arkansas Farmers Consider Canola and Wheat as Input Costs Soar

The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture has released enterprise budgets that include canola and wheat as fall-planted crops. These budgets are designed to help farmers make informed decisions about their planting choices.

According to Scott Stiles, extension economics program associate for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, growers are considering every alternative due to high input costs and compressed margins for major row crops.

The enterprise budgets allow farmers to plug in specific land lease structures and customized crop input quantities and prices to get a handle on the profitability of a particular crop and production method.

Canola is a small acreage crop for Arkansas, but it's seeing rapid growth. The state saw about 1,800 acres of canola harvested in 2026, and industry sources indicate that 2027 acreage will more than double.