Arkansas Rice and Cotton: Federal Payments by County
October 7, 2026
Arkansas consistently ranks among the top states for total USDA commodity program payments, driven by two crops with long histories of federal support: rice and cotton. Understanding these crops' program participation explains why Arkansas's payment totals remain substantial even in years when Corn Belt payments are low.
Rice: the dominant Arkansas crop
Arkansas grows more rice than any other US state — roughly half of total US rice production. The Grand Prairie region of east-central Arkansas (Lonoke, Prairie, Arkansas, Monroe counties) is the heart of US rice production. Rice has a PLC reference price of $14.00/cwt for long-grain and $14.00/cwt for medium-grain — levels that have been above market prices in many years, generating consistent PLC payments for Arkansas rice farmers.
Cotton in the Delta
The Mississippi Delta counties of eastern Arkansas (Mississippi, Crittenden, Phillips) are major cotton producers. Like Georgia and Texas, Arkansas cotton farmers saw the return of direct commodity program support when the Seed Cotton provision took effect in 2019. In weak-price years, PLC cotton payments in the Delta region can be substantial.
Soybeans as the third pillar
Soybeans are also widely grown in Arkansas's Delta region, providing crop rotation with rice and cotton. ARC/PLC soybean payments add to commodity program totals in years when soybean prices are weak, as in the trade war years of 2019–2020.
Explore Arkansas county data
The Arkansas state page shows how the Delta counties in the east contrast with the more diversified farming in the northwest (Ozarks region). The payment concentration in Delta counties — driven by rice, cotton, and soybeans on flat, productive delta soils — is one of the most geographically distinct patterns in the SubsidyLookup dataset.