Arkansas Rice Farmers Run Dry, and U.S. Remedy Sets Off Debate

New York Times ^ | November 11, 2002 | DOUGLAS JEHL

[liberallarry]

ULM, Ark., Nov. 5 — Rice farmers like John Kerksieck are on the brink of draining one of Arkansas' biggest aquifers dry.

That alone is troublesome, in a state that gets almost 50 inches of rain a year. But even more confounding — since these Southern farmers will not be the last to find themselves in such a pickle — is the question of what to do about it.

Most of the farmers want the government to send them replacement water from the White River. The Army Corps of Engineers and the state support a plan to spend more than $200 million in federal money on the project, or about $300,000 a farmer. It is time, they say, for the government to do in other states what has long been done in the West — provide irrigation water to farmers who have no other resort.

[liberallarry]

Big water problems in Santa Fe for the same reason. More coming up elsewhere. For those who think environmentalists are whackos and Julian Simon was right, here's your chance to offer constructive solutions.

[Nephi]

Perhaps, dare I say, rice is the wrong crop?

[Movemout]

Don't spend $3000K/farmer. The Army Corps of Engineers is just another bloated bureaucracy in search of taxpayer dollars. Let the farmers grow something else more appropriate to their environs. Enviros are still wrong.

[Redbob]

Makes about as much sense as growing cotton in the Arizona deserts, eh?

[DeaconBenjamin]

Bingo. Plus, the rice farmers are pushing for establishing (US taxpayer-funded) trade with Cuba, as well as busting the cap on payments under the recently-passed farm bill. Time to let the market work, and the subsidies stop.

[Movemout]

Oops. extra zero in their-- should read 300K

[Timocrat]

here's your chance to offer constructive solutions.

Stop growing inappropriate crops in inappropriate places. The US already has a surplus of grain crops due to Federal subsidies. All this does is subsidise the beer companies.

[Lessismore]

since these Southern farmers will not be the last to find themselves in such a pickle

This is minor compared with what will happen when the Oglalla Aquifer under Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado goes dry. Those circular irrigated fields in "fly-over country" owe their productivity to pumping water from an aquifer that is glacial water stored during the ice age.

[TheBattman]

I live right in the middle of Arkansas rice country. The farmers around here are so dependant upon the federal government that it reminds me of our Welfare system. The farmers are trapped in the system. They cannot live without the checks. Around here - it doesn't matter if you are a "conservative" or "liberal" - if you are running for office and have ever even slightly leaned towards cutting government subsidies - you are gone.

The farmers talk a huge talk about wantign the government out of farming - yet are the loudest screamers when the checks are delayed or are cut, or the rules change.

Now these farmers want the Feds to spend over $300,000 per farmer to bring them water. And who pays for this?

I do believe that the farmer is important - I hate to see farms go out of business (still way to common). Unfortunately, a real look at the "business" of farming will reveal that there is so much waste.

I do see where the farmers are coming from - prices for their grains are still very low - the cost of producing the crop usually outweighs the price they get for the crop. The only "profit" any farmers make is a portion of the crop payments by the government.

Of course, let's look at this another way. If I have a business making a product. There are many other businesses making the same product. I get more and more productive, as do the other companies making the same product. How long does it take for the price of the product to go down? How can I ever hope to get the price up if all of us making this product are producing more and more? Remember folks - supply and demand. The higher the supply, the lower the price.

So what's the solution? I'm not sure, but I really don't think that throwing millions away moving water to farmers is going to solve anything - if anything it will make the problems worse. If the farms would cut back production - the price would go up and the water would not be drained so fast.

Of course, my opinion is VERY unpopular...

[razorback-bert]

I know something about Arkansas,rice and farming. Rice started as a extra cash crop in boggy bottomland and was successful. The Beer Barons in St. Louis found they had a local cheap raw material and persuaded the govt to encourage increased production, so here we are today.

Short story of a lot of misplaced and out dated crops in the world.

[oyez]

I know something about Arkansas,rice and farming

Well I don't and I have a question. Is it really a requirment that the rice fields be flooded? I had heard the flooding was a natural way to keep out pests, thus saving the use of pesticides. Another question is why haven't our great Agricultuiral minds developed a strain of rice that can be grown with out so much water?(That is if that much water is required)

[razorback-bert]

About water and rice see this http://www.kidsregen.org/krrn/discoveries/in_garden/0902/rice_bucket.shtml

Short answer yes water is needed, rice is a water grass.

[oyez]

Thanks, and the information is right on my level, too.

One thing that is ture about FR; ask and ye shall be told.