By Ainsley Platt
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a press release Friday that two Taiwanese agricultural industry groups signed letters of intent to purchase state and U.S. products on the same day.
The Taiwan Feed Industry committed to purchasing 8.5 million metric tons of corn and corn products, while the Taiwan Vegetable Oil Manufacturers Association will purchase 6.5 metric tons of soybeans, Sanders said.
“Today’s announcement is great news for Arkansas and especially our row crop farmers, who need all the assistance they can get right now,” Sanders said in the release.
From 2025–2029, the Taiwanese groups will purchase agricultural products worth at least $5.56 billion from Arkansas and other American suppliers, the release said. Final prices will be negotiated by the importers themselves, the governor said, making it unclear how much would actually be paid.
The announcement comes at a particularly precarious time for one of Arkansas’ largest industries, which is facing its worst period in years as a result of depressed crop commodity prices compounded by less-than-ideal weather and tariffs implemented by the Trump administration.
Some state agriculture experts, such as the Agriculture Council of Arkansas and Democratic Senate hopeful and farmer Hallie Shoffner, are warning of impending disaster if more isn’t done to help farms — a third of which could shutter by next year without assistance, according to reporting from Talk Business and Politics. Farmer and GOP state Sen. Blake Johnson, of Corning, has also said he believes 20–30% of farmers could close their doors by year’s end without help.
Meanwhile, Arkansas Republican U.S. Sen. John Boozman, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, has said he is working to get federal relief money for the state’s farmers.
Taiwan is already one of the largest markets for American and Arkansas agricultural products, according to Sanders’ release. Arkansas exported roughly $63.2 million to the country in 2024.
Arkansas Advocate is an affiliate of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization, supported by grants and donations. The Advocate retains full editorial independence.
