What Should Arkansas Farmers Plant in 2027?

Arkansas farmers have not finished putting the 2026 crop in the bin, but many are already thinking about 2027. That is simply how farming works. Before the combine has left the field, producers are studying fertilizer prices, watching futures markets, talking with lenders, negotiating rent, considering seed purchases and trying to determine what combination of crops gives them the best opportunity to make money next year.

Those decisions may be especially difficult going into 2027. Arkansas farmers have demonstrated that they can produce exceptional crops, including potentially record yields in corn and soybeans during 2026. Unfortunately, high yields have not necessarily translated into strong profits. Production expenses remain high, and several major commodity markets have struggled to provide prices that comfortably cover the cost and risk involved in producing a crop.

As things stand in September 2026, there does not appear to be one obvious crop that every Arkansas farmer should plant next year. However, several opportunities are beginning to stand out. Soybeans remain attractive because of their relatively manageable production costs, high-yield corn could work well on the right ground, and improving wheat prices have made wheat and double-crop soybeans considerably more interesting. Canola may also deserve attention as an alternative winter crop.

The important question for 2027 is not which crop produces the most revenue. Farmers need to determine which crops have the best opportunity to leave money behind after all of the expenses are paid.

Soybeans Still Make a Lot of Sense

Soybeans will almost certainly remain an important part of the conversation going into 2027. Arkansas farmers planted approximately 3.45 million acres of soybeans in 2026, and USDA’s September forecast projected a statewide average yield of approximately 57 bushels per acre. If realized, that would represent a record Arkansas soybean yield.

The attraction of soybeans extends beyond their yield potential. Their production-cost structure is generally easier to manage than several competing crops. Most importantly, soybeans do not require the large commercial nitrogen fertilizer applications associated with crops such as corn and rice.

That advantage became especially important in 2026 as fertilizer costs created additional pressure on already narrow farm margins. If fertilizer remains expensive going into the 2027 planting season, soybeans will continue to have an important economic advantage.

There are other reasons to remain interested in soybeans. Domestic soybean crushing capacity has expanded, and demand associated with renewable diesel has created additional opportunities for soybean oil. Strong domestic demand does not guarantee profitable soybean prices, but it provides another source of demand beyond the export market.

The danger is that farmers across the country may arrive at the same conclusion. If soybean acreage expands substantially and the United States produces a large crop, additional supplies could pressure prices. Soybeans may therefore remain one of the more manageable crops from a cost perspective without necessarily becoming enormously profitable.

Even with that risk, soybeans appear positioned to remain one of Arkansas’s most important crops in 2027.

Corn Could Be Attractive on High-Yield Ground

Corn may be one of the more interesting decisions facing Arkansas farmers next spring.

Going into 2026, corn looked difficult because of fertilizer prices and high production expenses. Corn requires substantial nitrogen, and the amount of operating capital necessary to produce an acre of corn can be considerably greater than what is required for soybeans.

Then Arkansas farmers went out and produced an exceptional crop.

USDA’s September forecast projected an average Arkansas corn yield of approximately 188 bushels per acre. If that estimate holds, it would establish a new state record.

Those yields change the economics considerably.

A farmer consistently producing 190, 200 or 210 bushels of corn per acre is looking at a very different enterprise budget than someone expecting 160 or 170 bushels. High-yield ground gives the farmer more bushels over which to spread fixed and variable expenses.

Corn could therefore make sense on some of Arkansas’s most productive ground in 2027, particularly if fertilizer prices become more manageable. Farms with strong irrigation capacity, good soils and a history of producing exceptional corn yields should probably give the crop serious consideration.

That does not mean corn automatically beats soybeans. Corn still carries greater input exposure, particularly to fertilizer prices, and requires more operating capital. The decision needs to be made field by field rather than simply looking at statewide averages.

Wheat Has Become Much More Interesting

One of the biggest changes going into 2027 may be wheat.

Wheat prices have strengthened considerably compared with where they were previously, making the crop worthy of another look. University of Arkansas Extension has noted the improvement in wheat economics and expects stronger prices to encourage additional Arkansas wheat acreage.

The real opportunity may not be wheat by itself. It may be wheat followed by double-crop soybeans.

That system gives farmers the opportunity to harvest two crops from the same land during a single year. Wheat can be harvested in late spring or early summer, followed immediately by soybeans.

There are obviously additional risks. Double-crop soybeans are planted later than full-season soybeans and generally have less time to develop yield potential. Weather becomes extremely important, and dependable irrigation can make a substantial difference.

Nevertheless, stronger wheat prices can change the calculation. Instead of evaluating wheat strictly as a standalone crop, farmers should consider the combined revenue and expenses of the entire wheat-soybean system.

On suitable Arkansas ground, that could become one of the more interesting opportunities of 2027.

Canola Deserves a Look

Canola is another crop that Arkansas farmers may hear considerably more about over the next several months.

Arkansas has historically planted relatively little canola, but interest in the crop is growing. University of Arkansas Extension reported that approximately 1,800 acres were harvested in Arkansas during 2026 and that industry sources expected acreage to more than double in 2027.

Part of that interest is being driven by a closed-loop production program involving Bunge, Chevron and Corteva. Extension reported a 2027 contract price of approximately $13.25 per bushel for participating Mid-South growers.

Having a known contract price before planting can be extremely valuable. One of the biggest risks farmers face is investing hundreds of dollars per acre in a crop without knowing what price they will receive when it is harvested. Contract production can remove at least part of that uncertainty.

Canola can also potentially be followed by double-crop soybeans, creating another opportunity to generate two sources of crop revenue from the same acreage.

That does not mean every Arkansas farmer should suddenly plant canola. Producers need to consider soil suitability, expected yields, equipment requirements, transportation, contract specifications and delivery locations. A specialty crop is only useful if there is a dependable market for it.

Still, canola is worth watching closely as 2027 approaches.

Rice Needs Better Economics

Rice presents a much more complicated situation.

Arkansas is the leading rice-producing state in the country, and rice is deeply connected to the economy of eastern Arkansas. The state has the farmers, equipment, mills, elevators, irrigation infrastructure and experience necessary to produce enormous quantities of rice efficiently.

The problem is not whether Arkansas can grow rice.

The problem is whether farmers can make enough money growing it.

Rice is expensive to produce. Fertilizer, seed, chemicals, irrigation, fuel, equipment, labor, land and financing all contribute to a substantial investment per acre.

When rice prices are strong, those expenses can be justified. When prices weaken, however, the margin disappears quickly.

Rice certainly will not disappear from Arkansas in 2027. There are farms and fields where rice fits extremely well, and many producers have made enormous investments in infrastructure specifically designed around the crop.

However, farmers should be careful about assuming that historical planting patterns automatically make economic sense for another year. Every rice acre needs to be evaluated using realistic yields, current input prices, actual irrigation costs and realistic commodity-price expectations.

Arkansas farmers know how to grow rice. What they need is a market that adequately compensates them for growing it.

Cotton Faces a Similar Decision

Cotton will face many of the same questions.

Cotton remains an important crop throughout eastern Arkansas, and some producers consistently generate excellent yields. Existing equipment, soil type, crop rotation and management experience can also make cotton an appropriate choice for individual operations.

However, cotton requires substantial investment throughout the growing season. Seed, fertilizer, herbicides, insecticides, plant growth regulators, defoliation and harvesting expenses add up quickly.

That makes cotton particularly sensitive to price.

There are indications that cotton conditions could improve somewhat in 2027, but modest improvement is not the same thing as a comfortable profit margin. Farmers will need to examine their own historical yields and costs carefully before committing substantial acreage.

As with rice, the question is not whether Arkansas farmers can grow cotton. They clearly can. The question is whether the expected price justifies the investment and risk.

Double-Cropping May Deserve More Attention

One of the most interesting themes heading into 2027 may be the potential return of winter crops followed by soybeans.

For many years, wheat followed by soybeans was a familiar production system across the Mid-South. When wheat economics became unattractive, acreage declined substantially.

Improving wheat prices could change that.

Canola creates another possibility. If contract opportunities remain available and the crop performs well agronomically, canola followed by soybeans could provide another double-crop option.

Double-cropping obviously introduces additional management requirements. Harvest timing becomes critical. Planting the second crop quickly is important, and summer weather can determine whether double-crop soybeans produce an acceptable yield.

However, farmers should evaluate these systems based on the combined return from both crops rather than looking at either crop independently.

A wheat crop that produces only a modest return may still be valuable if it is followed by a profitable soybean crop. The important number is the total return generated by the land over the entire year.

The Best Crop May Be Different on Every Farm

There is a temptation every winter to ask which crop will be the most profitable the following year. Unfortunately, agriculture rarely provides such a simple answer.

The best crop on one Arkansas farm may be completely different from the best crop on another farm only a few miles away.

A farmer with excellent corn ground and a history of 200-plus-bushel yields may find corn attractive. Another farmer with expensive irrigation and lower corn yield potential may be much better off planting soybeans.

A rice farmer with efficient wells, owned land and excellent yields has a completely different cost structure from someone paying high cash rent and pumping water from an expensive irrigation system.

The same is true of cotton, wheat and canola.

That is why statewide averages are useful for understanding trends but cannot replace an individual farm budget.

Farmers Need to Budget for Profit, Not Yield

Perhaps the most important lesson from 2026 is that record yields do not automatically create profitable farms.

Arkansas could potentially establish record statewide yields in both soybeans and corn this year. That is an impressive accomplishment and says a great deal about the skill of Arkansas farmers.

However, farmers do not pay their bills with yield records.

They pay them with margin.

Every crop being considered for 2027 should therefore be evaluated using realistic numbers for seed, fertilizer, chemicals, irrigation, machinery, labor, insurance, land and interest. Farmers should then compare those costs against conservative yield and price assumptions.

It is also worth running several scenarios.

What happens if soybeans make 60 bushels?

What happens if they make 50?

What happens if corn makes 200 bushels instead of 180?

What happens if fertilizer increases another 15 percent?

What happens if commodity prices decline between planting and harvest?

Those calculations are far more useful than simply asking which crop currently has the highest futures price.

Diversification May Be More Important Than Picking a Winner

For many Arkansas farms, the best strategy in 2027 may not be identifying one crop and betting heavily on it. Diversification can help spread both production and market risk.

A diversified operation might include full-season soybeans, high-yield corn on the most productive ground and selected acres of wheat or canola followed by double-crop soybeans.

Rice and cotton could remain part of the rotation where individual farm economics justify them.

That approach provides exposure to several commodity markets rather than depending entirely on one. It can also spread planting and harvest workloads across a longer period.

Diversification does not eliminate risk, but in an agricultural economy characterized by narrow margins and volatile markets, avoiding excessive exposure to any single crop may have considerable value.

What Should Arkansas Farmers Plant in 2027?

As things stand today, soybeans remain one of the more economically manageable major crops for Arkansas, particularly if fertilizer prices stay elevated. Their lower nitrogen requirement and Arkansas’s demonstrated ability to produce excellent yields make them difficult to ignore.

Corn deserves serious consideration on high-yield ground. Arkansas farmers proved again in 2026 that they can produce exceptional corn yields. If fertilizer prices moderate and corn prices remain supportive, corn could compete strongly with soybeans on productive irrigated acres.

Wheat may be one of the crops worth watching most closely. Improving prices make wheat more attractive, particularly when evaluated as part of a wheat-soybean double-crop system.

Canola is the wildcard. Contract opportunities and the possibility of following canola with soybeans make it an interesting alternative for farms where the agronomics and delivery requirements work.

Rice and cotton remain important Arkansas crops, but both need margins that adequately compensate farmers for their higher production expenses and financial risk.

Most importantly, farmers should resist the temptation to chase whichever commodity happens to have the most attractive price on a particular day. The objective is not to grow the crop with the highest price or even the crop with the highest gross revenue.

The objective is to grow the crop that leaves the most money after the bills are paid.

That may sound obvious, but it is becoming increasingly important in modern agriculture. Farmers have become extraordinarily good at maximizing production. The challenge now is making sure those additional bushels and pounds actually contribute to the financial health of the farm.

As Arkansas moves toward another planting season, there may not be a single crop that clearly wins for 2027. The better opportunity may be found in carefully matching crops to individual fields, controlling production costs, diversifying where appropriate and taking advantage of double-crop opportunities when the numbers work.

After the experience of 2026, Arkansas farmers have every reason to scrutinize those numbers closely.

Because at the end of the year, the best crop is not necessarily the one that produces the most bushels.

It is the one that leaves enough money to plant again next year.