Agriculture chief outlines farm issues at A-State conference

The farming community is facing a multitude of problems from weak commodity prices, higher input costs, potential trade wars, and other problems as the planting season creeps nearer.

Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward told attendees at the Arkansas State University Agribusiness Conference on Wednesday (Feb. 12) that his department is working with state and federal officials to bring relief to the beleaguered farming community.

Ward, a Lake City native and A-State alum, said one of the major problems facing agriculture in the state is water – too much in some instances and not enough in others. There are currently $13 billion in identified water and wastewater projects that need to be completed in the state, he said.

So far, the state has been able to secure $2.8 billion toward those projects.

In 2019, massive floods along the Arkansas River caused billions of dollars in damage. Gov. Sarah Sanders asked Ward what was being done to fix the water-related problems along the river and in other parts of the state, including a lack of ground water in some farm areas.

State officials worked out a comprehensive short-term and long-term water project plan, Ward said. The governor signed an executive order last year that updated the plan, and now they are working towards implementing it.

The department will work on a wide range of issues this year, such as getting the Farm Bill passed, crop burning, food insecurity, drones, egg prices, and others.

A Farm Bill hasn’t passed since 2018, and there is hope among the Arkansas congressional delegation that an updated bill will be passed before the extension on the current bill runs out in September, said Ward.

Crop burning has been a controversial issue in the state for years, and it’s likely to be a hot-button topic again as profit margins on farms are projected to tighten this year. The goal is to make sure producers are adhering to crop burning protocols to ensure the process remains mandatory and that mandates are not passed by the state to control what farmers can and can’t do, Ward said.

Egg prices have been high for a long time, and it might be a while before those prices come down. Bird flu has decimated flocks around the country and it has limited the capacity for producing eggs.

Arkansas’ poultry sector hasn’t been hit as hard with the flu, and it has fared better than many states, said Ward.

Drones are being used on farms more and more, and it creates unique challenges, he said. How they are used and how they are regulated will be topics broached later this year.

The Arkansas Legislature is in full session now, and Ward said the department will be involved in several pieces of legislation involving food insecurity and efficiency in processes of government among others. One goal Sanders said she has for all parts of the government is to find more efficient ways to operate, and Ward said his department has been working toward that goal.