Arkansas’ tax revenue surplus at $430 million through April

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

With just two months remaining in Arkansas’ fiscal year, tax revenue is on track to beat the record collections in the previous fiscal year. Also, the state’s revenue surplus was $430.1 million at the end of April.

Tax revenue in the first 10 fiscal months of the year (July 2022-April 2023) totaled $7.313 billion, up 1.2% compared with the same period in the previous fiscal year and up 5.1% over the forecast, according to a report posted Tuesday (May 2) by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA).

Individual income tax revenue in the first 10 months of the fiscal year was $3.352 billion, down 5% compared to the same period in 2021-2022, and 3.2% above the budget forecast. Sales and use tax revenue in the first 10 months was $2.814 billion, up 7.9% compared with the same period in the previous fiscal year and up 2.2% above the forecast. Corporate income tax revenue in the first 10 months was $712 million, up $53.3 million compared to the same period in 2021-2022, and 32.7% above the forecast.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/05/arkansas-tax-revenue-surplus-at-430-million-through-april/

Rice planting near record pace in April

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas is the nation’s top rice producer and during the last several growing cycles planting has started slowly. This has been due to the unusual weather and heavy rains that have pelted the state. Not this year.

Rice growers, particularly in northeastern Arkansas, are far ahead of schedule. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the state’s growers had planted 33% of their 1.2 million planned rice acres as of mid-April, about two-thirds better than the five-year average of 20% for this point in the season.

Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said USDA’s estimate is likely conservative.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/05/rice-planting-near-record-pace-in-april/

Abandoned Pesticide Collection Events Scheduled April 4-7

Arkansas Department of Agriculture

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 03/07/2022
Contact: Amy Lyman, (501) 410-4616

amy.lyman@agriculture.arkansas.gov

LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program has scheduled four Abandoned Pesticide collection events from April 4-7 for the following seven counties: Arkansas, Howard, Little River, Montgomery, Pike, Polk, and Sevier.  

Collection event are from 8:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the follow dates and locations: 

• April 4 – Sevier County/Little River County - Sevier County Road Shop, 1155 Highway 70/71 East, De Queen, AR 77832

• April 5th – Howard County/Pike County- Howard County Fairgrounds, 1567 US 371, Nashville, AR 71852

• April 6th – Polk County/Montgomery County – Polk County Fairgrounds, 156 Polk Road 43, Mena, AR 71953

• April 7th – Arkansas County- Stuttgart Municipal Airport, 2000 State Highway 980, Stuttgart, AR 72160

Participation in a collection event is free and anonymous to anyone. Commonly collected items include old/outdated pesticides such as calcium arsenate, 2,4,5-T, sodium cyanide, lindane, and chlordane, as well as registered pesticides unusable because they have been exposed to the elements or have been held over from previous growing seasons such as glyphosate products and 2,4-D. 

Since the program began in 2005, 5,351,431 pounds of unwanted pesticides have been collected in counties across Arkansas. 

The Abandoned Pesticide Program is conducted in cooperation with Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, Inc., the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the State Plant Board. Representatives from these agencies make up the Abandoned Pesticide Advisory Board. 

The Abandoned Pesticide Advisory Board selects county sites for collection events and moves locations by region within the state seasonally. Priority watersheds are a large consideration factor for the Advisory Board in choosing counties/regions for site collection. 

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The Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program is administered by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Plant Industries Division. Learn more about the Plant Industries Division at: agriculture.arkansas.gov/plant-industries/, or call 501-225-1598. The mission of the Plant Industries Division is to serve the citizens of Arkansas and the agricultural and business communities by providing information and unbiased enforcement of laws and regulations set by the Arkansas State Plant Board.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is dedicated to the development and implementation of policies and programs for Arkansas agriculture and forestry to keep its farmers and ranchers competitive in national and international markets while ensuring safe food, fiber, and forest products for the citizens of the state and nation. Visit agriculture.arkansas.gov/. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

ANDREW VOGLER

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Arkansas Department of Agriculture

1 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR  72205

Office (501) 219-6392

w.andrew.vogler@agriculture.arkansas.gov

agriculture.arkansas.gov