Arkansas Farmers Harvest Crops at Record Pace Amid Higher Diesel Costs

Arkansas farmers are racing through the early harvest season due to hot and dry weather that has accelerated the ripening of crops. The state's corn crop is already 65% harvested, with rice and soybean harvests also ahead of their normal pace.

The USDA Crop Progress report showed that Arkansas' corn crop reached 65% harvested in the latest report, up from 42% the previous week. Rice harvest more than doubled from 16% to 33%, while soybean harvest increased from 4% to 16%. All three crops are ahead of their five-year averages.

The accelerated harvest comes as farmers across Southeast Arkansas face sharply higher fuel expenses. The average diesel price in Pine Bluff was approximately $5.45 per gallon, up from about $5.01 one month ago and $3.41 at the same time last year, according to AAA. Some larger combines used during rice harvest can burn approximately 28 gallons of diesel per hour.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture estimates that this can result in an average daily fuel bill of approximately $1,100 per combine, about twice what farmers faced last year.