Dan Wright, President | Arkansas Farm Bureau
As I look back on the past year serving as your Arkansas Farm Bureau president, I’m reminded again that adversity is often our greatest teacher. Agriculture has never been an easy profession, but that’s part of what makes it such a calling. Every challenge brings lessons that shape us into better farmers, stronger families and more determined advocates for the future of rural Arkansas.
Agriculture continues to change, sometimes faster than we’d like. Markets swing, policies shift and the weather keeps us humble. Yet through it all, one thing remains steady: the resilience of Arkansas farmers and ranchers. From the Delta row crops to the mountain pastures and pine timberlands, our people keep finding ways to adapt, to produce and to persevere.
Arkansas agriculture is built on three major segments: row crops (including fruits and vegetables), livestock and timber. Each plays a vital role in our state’s economy, and each faces its own unique challenges.
Our livestock producers, especially cattlemen, know what it means to ride the highs and lows of the market. For years, low cattle prices and high input costs squeezed profits and tested patience. Recently, though, cattle prices have reached record highs, bringing long-awaited relief and allowing many ranchers to reinvest in their operations. Still, there’s that lingering question — how long will it last?
If consumer beef prices climb too far, demand could fall. A disease outbreak or a processing disruption could also throw the market into turmoil. Every cattleman knows that when prices are strong, it’s wise to prepare for leaner days ahead. That’s a lesson this industry has learned time and again, success in agriculture depends on managing the good times just as carefully as the hard ones.
The timber industry tells a different story. Arkansas holds about 19 million acres of forest — half our state’s total area — yet our timber markets remain sluggish. Oversupply has flooded the market, driving prices down and discouraging harvest. The experts report that our forests are growing faster than we can cut them, and that imbalance carries both economic and environmental risks.
When we harvest too little, forests grow overly dense, making them vulnerable to wildfire, pests and disease. But cutting too aggressively would harm the long-term health of our timberlands. Achieving balance is key, but that’s easier said than done. Global trade, tariffs and shifts in housing demand all affect timber values, and most of those factors are far beyond the control of our local producers.
Meanwhile, row crop farmers continue to face some of the steepest challenges. Corn, soybeans, cotton, rice and specialty crops like fruits and vegetables have all felt the sting of high input costs, volatile markets and trade uncertainty. Federal reference prices have lagged behind real-world production costs for years. Though long-overdue adjustments are finally being made, they’ll take time to make a real difference in the field.
Trade remains a major concern. A single tariff dispute or export ban can erase profits overnight. And for those growing specialty crops, labor is becoming a breaking point. We can’t harvest what we can’t pick, and finding dependable workers is harder every year. Labor reform must remain a top priority if we want American agriculture to remain competitive and sustainable.
Through all this, one message shines bright: tough times make us better. Every generation of farmers has weathered its own share of storms, literal and figurative, and come out stronger on the other side. Hardship builds resilience. It pushes us to innovate, to work smarter and to appreciate the blessings that come when the rain finally falls after a long dry spell.
Farm Bureau’s role is to make sure no farmer stands alone in that struggle. Whether it’s advocating for a fair farm bill, pushing for better trade policy, supporting healthcare and broadband in rural areas, or investing in leadership development, our organization exists to make Arkansas agriculture stronger and more sustainable.
As I look to the year ahead, I’m filled with gratitude for the trust you’ve placed in me, for the teamwork of our county leaders and for the unwavering spirit of our farm families. Agriculture will always face challenges, but with faith, hard work and unity, there’s nothing we can’t overcome.