A winter storm that brought snow, sleet, and sub-freezing temperatures to Arkansas in late January resulted in tens of millions of U.S. dollars in agricultural losses, according to a report from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Producers of five specialty crops, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, strawberries, and grapes, including muscadines, reported yield losses ranging from 4% to 8%. Based on baseline crop values, the estimated combined loss for these crops totals US$1.17 million.
In addition to yield impacts, farms reported damage to equipment, vehicles, buildings, and greenhouses. Due to variation between individual operations, no specific dollar value was assigned to infrastructure losses in the report.
The findings highlight both field-level yield effects and structural vulnerabilities linked to winter weather events across the state's horticultural sector.
Source: Times Record
