Arkansas farmer Shoffner challenges Cotton amid rural economic pressures
The Reuters segment profiles economic strain on Arkansas row-crop farmers growing rice, cotton, corn, and soybeans. It centers on Democratic Senate challenger Hallie Shoffner, a sixth-generation farmer who liquidated her family's 150-year operation in 2025 to preserve land amid rising costs and lost export markets. Reporter PJ Huffstetter interviews farmers, economist Wesley Davis, and political scientist John Davis on the crisis, its roots in tariffs, inflation, and weather, and its potential to affect the Cotton-Shoffner race. It includes campaign statements from both sides and notes recent polls showing varying margins.
Source: Reuters