Arkansas Harvests Speed Up as Heat Wave Continues

Dry weather is driving harvests in Arkansas' major crops, including corn, rice, and soybeans. The prolonged heat has also pushed cotton toward harvest time.

The latest Crop Progress report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows corn at 65% harvested as of this week, well ahead of last year's pace and the five-year average. Rice is at 33% harvested, up from 16% last week and exceeding its typical rate for this time of year.

Farmers are seeing higher costs to harvest due to diesel prices, which have jumped about 22% in the past month and are nearing yearly highs. 'The dry conditions are certainly allowing the harvest to move quickly and with lower grain drying costs,' said Scott Stiles, extension economics program associate for the Division of Agriculture.