Capitol & Scott: Extreme weather and Arkansas agriculture, Part 2 – The economic impact

As much-needed rainfall blankets Arkansas this week, farmers across the state are still dealing with one of the worst droughts in recent history. More than a dozen counties were classified as disaster areas because of weeks of dry conditions paired with scalding temperatures. Conditions this summer have not been this dire since a drought in 2012. Farmers will begin assessing the toll of the extreme weather in coming weeks as they prepare to harvest crops. Yields will determine the impact not only on the crops but also on farmers' bottom line. The estimated loss for livestock farmers is already coming it at around $100 million. In Capitol & Scott’s two-part series on the impact of climate change on agriculture in Arkansas, our second episode centers on the economic impacts and risk assessment of droughts. University of Arkansas agricultural economist John Anderson joins host Lara Farrar to talk about how the sector has been affected so far and projections for the second half of 2022. Check out last week’s episode featuring Hallie Shoffner, a sixth-generation farmer in the Arkansas Delta, who shares the story of how extreme weather conditions are changing the way her family’s farm does business.