A temporary closure at Riceland Foods’ rice drying facility in Dumas is highlighting the growing economic challenges facing Southeast Arkansas as a sharp decline in rice acreage forces the nation’s largest rice cooperative to scale back operations.
Riceland Foods announced it will temporarily close nine of its 23 rice drying facilities this harvest season, citing rice acreage levels not seen since the 1970s. Along with Dumas, facilities in Lonoke, Des Arc, Fair Oaks, Griffithville, Knobel, Parkin, Tuckerman and Dudley, Mo., will also cease drying operations.
For Dumas, a community whose economy remains heavily tied to agriculture, the temporary closure represents more than a business decision. Rice production has long served as a cornerstone of the local economy, supporting farmers, truckers, equipment operators, seasonal workers and businesses that rely on harvest-related activity…