Division of Agriculture

Established: 1959
division.uaex.edu

At a Glance

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is the statewide research and extension agency serving Arkansas agriculture, communities, families and youth. The mission of the division is to discover new knowledge, incorporate it into practical applications and assist Arkansans in its application. With a presence in all 75 counties, the division is comprised of two principal units: the Agriculture Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service. Division faculty and facilities are located on five university campuses, at five regional research and extension centers, eight branch stations and other locations. An extension office is located in each county in cooperation with county governments.

The community of Arkansas agriculture impacts about 270,000 people whose jobs directly or indirectly depend on agriculture, including the forestry sector. The $9.6 billion they receive in wages is more than 15 percent of the state’s total labor income. Agriculture accounts for more than $16 billion of value added to the state’s economy and 12 percent of GDP, greater than any state in the region.

Points of Pride

• The National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences ranked the UA Department of Food Science Ph.D. program in the Top 5 nationally in 2010.
• In 2011, the Division of Agriculture initiated a groundbreaking new nitrogen soil test that can help improve profits for rice growers and reduce the risk of nitrogen runoff into surface water. The Nitrogen Soil Test for Rice, or NST*R, offers field-specific recommendations for nitrogen applications that, in many cases, reduces application rates by half or more.
• In Arkansas, the 4-H program operated by the Division of Agriculture annually reaches more than 131,000 youngsters aged 5-19. The experiential learning program also offers some $50,000 in scholarships a year to participants.