Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) has called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to accelerate assistance to Arkansas farmers, who he says are still facing economic challenges.
In a letter addressed to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Cotton urged that support be provided quickly to ensure the survival of farms in Arkansas for future planting seasons and generations. “Arkansas farmers are anxious about their ability to secure financing for the next planting season and need certainty about the support that will be available to them. I write today to respectfully request that your department prioritize the swift distribution of the maximum amount of assistance available to our farmers,” Cotton wrote.
The senator highlighted ongoing financial pressures faced by Arkansas’s agricultural sector, noting a 10 percent decline in net farm income in 2024 and a $580 million drop in crop receipts. For 2025, cash crop receipts are projected to decrease by $617 million, up from an earlier projection of a $465 million decline. According to Cotton, these losses mean many Arkansas farmers will lose hundreds of dollars per acre on major crops such as corn, cotton, long-grain rice, and soybeans.
Cotton acknowledged relief efforts already made through the $10 billion Emergency Commodity Assistance Program included in the American Relief Act of 2025 and cited President Trump’s commitment to further supporting farmers.
He also asked USDA officials crafting new aid packages to consider that some producers may not benefit from recent increases in crop prices because they have already sold this year’s harvests at lower rates.
Cotton concluded his letter by expressing his willingness to work with Secretary Rollins on addressing these issues.
