Arkansas Legislative Audit’s report on the $19,000 purchase of a lectern for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office found several instances of “potential noncompliance” with state law and has been sent to the state attorney general and Pulaski County’s prosecuting attorney.
Members of Sanders’ staff used a state-issued credit card to buy the lectern and a carrying case in June 2023 from a Virginia-based event design and management firm with political ties to Sanders. The Republican Party of Arkansas reimbursed the governor’s office three months later, just before the purchase became public and brought scrutiny on Sanders and her staff.
Arkansas Legislative Audit, a nonpartisan entity that investigates government spending, began the audit at lawmakers’ direction in October and released the report Monday afternoon. The report is critical of actions taken by the governor’s office and recommends adherence to state purchasing and property disposal laws in the future.
Alexa Henning, Sanders’ communications director, said Monday that the report “demonstrate[s] what the governor’s office said all along: we followed the law, and the state was fully reimbursed with private funds for the podium, at no cost to the taxpayers.”
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The report said several actions by Sanders’ office potentially ran afoul of state law including:
Paying for the lectern before it was delivered.
Failing to notify the state Department of Transformation and Shared Services of the delivery, which prevented the purchase from being properly recorded as belonging to state government.
Characterizing the purchase as an operating expense instead of a capital asset, a category for property that costs more than $5,000.
Seeking reimbursement for the lectern from the Republican Party of Arkansas instead of asking the State Procurement Director for an exemption from state purchasing and property disposal laws.
Shredding a document that included details about the lectern necessary to properly record the purchase. Sanders’ office’s staff told auditors this was done in error.
Failing to create a business justification statement for the purchase.
The report noted that the governor’s office had three copies of the invoice for the lectern, two of which had handwritten notes on them, indicating that staff altered public records.
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Auditors also found that the Department of Transformation and Shared Services excluded several requested documents from its responses to state Freedom of Information Act queries related to the lectern purchase. The report recommended that DTSS comply with FOIA in the future.
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The report recommended that the governor’s office ensure purchases are paid for after delivery, “retain all original documentation” related to purchases and deliveries, follow state law when disposing of property and ensure documentation is completed in a timely manner.
The state Legislature could add language to state law that would restrict the governor’s office’s use of funds appropriated to it in the state budget, the report recommended.
The Legislature could also create language “defining the disbursing officer and business office of the Governor’s Office, especially regarding responsibility of delivery of goods prior to payment” and “clarifying the custodian of record for the governor’s for purposes of FOIA,” the report states.
Last year, Sanders repeatedly called criticism of the purchase a “manufactured controversy” and said she welcomed the audit. The report states that she “declined the opportunity to speak with ALA staff or provide a statement.”
Sanders’ office had the chance to review the report before it was made public, as is standard operating procedure for Legislative Audit. The response, dated March 29, called the report “deeply flawed,” “a waste of taxpayer resources and time” and proof that “no laws were broken” and “no fraud was committed.”
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The state Republican Party could not be reached for comment Monday.
In a statement after the report’s release, Democratic Party of Arkansas Chair Grant Tennille called for Attorney General Tim Griffin and Sixth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones to “swiftly deliver justice to any government official found to have committed an act of corruption.”
“This is not and never was a partisan matter, but a very serious investigation of wrongdoing by government officials who may have broken as many as seven state laws,” Tennille said.
Prior to a FOIA request related to the podium purchase, made on September 11, 2023, there was no indication that the Governor’s Office was seeking reimbursement for the cost of the podium and the road case.
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– Arkansas Legislative Audit
‘Reasonableness’ unclear
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The customized lectern’s base cost was $11,575, the carrying case cost $2,200 and shipping and handling of both items also cost $2,200, according to the report. The governor’s office also paid a $2,500 “consulting fee” to Beckett Events, a business in the Washington D.C. area run by Virginia Beckett, a consultant and lobbyist who worked on Sanders’ 2022 gubernatorial campaign.
The 3% credit card processing fee of $554 brought the $18,475 lectern purchase to a total of $19,029. New York-based Miller’s Presentation Furniture manufactured the lectern, and D.C.-area Salem Strategies and its owner, Hannah Stone, gave Sanders’ office information about portable lecterns upon request, the report states.
Similar non-customized lecterns are available online for as low as $7,000, the report notes. Legislative Audit “could not determine the reasonableness” of both the podium’s base cost and the consulting fee because Beckett Events, Salem Strategies and Miller’s Presentation Furniture all did not respond to auditors’ attempts to contact them.
Sanders’ office “sent one additional email to Hannah Stone and Virginia Beckett in January 2024 but failed to attach ALA’s list of proposed questions regarding the podium,” according to the report.
State Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, requested the audit in September. His request also included looking into “significant expenditures involving the governor’s office” that were shielded from public accessibility by Act 7 of 2023. The law exempted records related to the governor’s security from the FOIA.
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Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, asks the Legislative Joint Auditing Executive Committee on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023 to approve his request for an audit into Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ purchase of a $19,000 lectern and the retroactive shielding of certain government expenses from public access. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)
Hickey said Monday that the second portion of the audit is still in progress, and the released report’s findings specifically pertained to the lectern purchase.
The Legislative Joint Auditing Committee will meet Tuesday to discuss the report. Hickey said Monday afternoon that he had not yet read it and likely would not comment on it before Tuesday’s meeting regardless.
Legislative Joint Auditing Committee co-chairs Sen. David Wallace of Leachville and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway of Paragould, both Republicans, first read the report last week, and the rest of the committee read it Monday afternoon, Wallace said later on Monday.
Gazaway and Wallace could not be reached for comment after the report was released.
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Timeline of purchase and controversy
The audit was necessary in light of “everything with the timeline” of events regarding the signing of Act 7 and the way the lectern purchase became public knowledge, Hickey said in September.
The Republican Party of Arkansas reimbursed Sanders’ office for the full $19,209 cost on Sept. 14. Attorney and blogger Matt Campbell posted the document, which he had previously requested via the FOIA, on X (formerly Twitter) on Sept. 15.
“Prior to a FOIA request related to the podium purchase, made on September 11, 2023, there was no indication that the Governor’s Office was seeking reimbursement for the cost of the podium and the road case,” the audit report states.
Also on Sept. 14, Sanders signed Act 7 after a special legislative session in which she had supported additional exemptions to the FOIA that met bipartisan opposition in the Legislature and from the public. Campbell, who is now an Arkansas Times reporter, had been using the FOIA for several weeks to request and report on Sanders’ office’s spending.
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Worries over secrecy grow as state officials shield records from the public
After Hickey’s request for an audit later that month, Rogers-based attorney Tom Mars contacted Hickey to offer an anonymous client’s aid during the requested audit. Mars said his client could “provide clear and convincing evidence” to the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee that Sanders’ office had recently altered and withheld FOIA-accessible records.
On Oct. 10, Campbell posted an email on X that indicated Laura Hamilton, Sanders’ executive assistant, was instructed to alter the invoice for the lectern by writing “to be reimbursed” on it by hand, shortly before Campbell received it via FOIA request.
Lawmakers approved Hickey’s audit request three days after Campbell posted the email.
Auditors found three different versions of the invoice during the audit. One “appears to be a copy of the original invoice” and does not include the handwritten addition of “to be reimbursed” along with Hamilton’s initials. Two others include the addition — one was attached to the check from the state GOP that was deposited into the state Treasury — and were both sent to Campbell in response to his FOIA requests, the report states.
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“ALA maintains this handwritten notation, which altered the public record, potentially conflicts with [state law],” the report states.
Sanders’ office’s formal response to auditors claimed “a handwritten note on an invoice, absent a false alteration, is not a violation of law.”
Mars said Monday on X that his anonymous client “gave sworn testimony to the legislative auditors before a court reporter based on first-hand knowledge of the alteration and concealment of highly relevant records.”
In a prepared statement, Mars said the information in the report made Monday “a sad day for Arkansans who care about truth and integrity in government.”
“The report just confirms people’s worst fears about the dishonesty of the Governor and members of her staff who appear to have participated in a transaction that any intelligent, objective observer would call ‘fraud,’” Mars wrote.
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Purchasing laws and property ownership
Hickey said in October that one question he hoped the audit would answer was who owns the lectern, since it was apparently purchased with state funds despite the eventual reimbursement.
The audit report asserts that since the podium and carrying case “were initially paid for with funds appropriated by the General Assembly to the Governor’s Office,” both continued to be state property after the state GOP reimbursed Sanders’ office.
Griffin published an opinion last week, at Sanders’ request, declaring that certain executive branch officials such as the governor are not subject to certain laws that regulate purchases by government entities.
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Arkansas AG claims purchasing laws do not apply to governor, days before release of lectern audit
The opinion states that elected constitutional offices are not state “agencies” under the General Accounting and Budgetary Procedures Law, which regulates the financial behavior of the state’s “agencies, boards, commissions, departments, and institutions.” The list included in the law does not specifically contain “offices” or “officers” and therefore does not apply to them “unless otherwise necessary,” a phrase taken directly from the law, Griffin wrote.
But Arkansas Legislative Audit considers the governor’s office an agency under the GABPL, which requires the state and its subsidiaries to “provide adequate accounting for all fiscal transactions.”
The report also states that the governor’s office is subject to marketing-and-redistribution (M&R) law, which regulates “effective utilization of surplus state property.” Griffin disputed this in last week’s opinion.
Auditors found during the investigation that Sanders’ office had disposed of other state property, including a storage cabinet and a tabletop podium, in compliance with M&R law, according to the report.
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Griffin said in a statement Monday that he was “perplexed” at Arkansas Legislative Audit’s “mistaken conclusion that the Governor’s office is a ‘state agency’ for the purposes of certain statutes.”
“I am continuing to review the report, which was transmitted to my office in accordance with state law,” Griffin said.
Sanders’ office’s response to auditors reiterated Griffin’s opinion from last week. Legislative Audit’s response, also included in the report, defended its interpretation of the laws in question.
“A cardinal rule in dealing with a statutory provision is to give it a consistent and uniform interpretation,” the auditing body wrote.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — A baseball championship will be on the line when Arkansas ends the regular season at Texas A&M.
The Razorbacks have heard that before.
Thirty-five years ago Arkansas went to College Station one game ahead of Texas A&M in the Southwest Conference standings. The Razorbacks won the first game 11-9 in 16 innings to claim a share of their first SWC crown, but split the SWC title with the Aggies who swept a Saturday doubleheader.
Five years ago Arkansas went 1-2 at Texas A&M on the final weekend. The Razorbacks did not know they had won the SEC West title until well after their final game had ended, when Mississippi State lost to South Carolina to create a split championship.
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Barring something unforeseen, there will be no split title this year, at least not in the SEC West. Second-ranked Arkansas (42-10, 19-8 SEC) enters the series with a two-game lead over fourth-ranked Texas A&M (42-10, 17-10) in the standings.
If the Razorbacks win once, they will win their fifth division title in six seasons dating to 2018. The Aggies must sweep to win the division for the second time in three seasons.
“It makes it a little more interesting, I guess,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “It’s the two teams at the top playing each other the last day.”
Given the West has produced the past three national champions, those division titles tend to mean a little something extra.
“This is the big leagues of college baseball,” Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle said.
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Both teams are also alive in the conference title race.
The Razorbacks are one game behind Kentucky and tied with Tennessee for second in the SEC. Arkansas has won two of the past three conference championships, including last season when the Razorbacks split with Florida.
The Aggies are three games back of first place and must sweep Arkansas, then hope for upsets elsewhere on the leaderboard to share the conference crown.
Van Horn said he hasn’t spoken to the team about title contention.
“We’re just going to go play,” Van Horn said. “Obviously we want to win the series. That’s our goal at a minimum…and then let the chips fall where they may.”
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Arkansas could celebrate in College Station similar to the 1989 team that won one of the most memorable games in program history. The 16-inning victory over the Aggies lasted 5 hours, 57 minutes — time-wise the longest game in SWC history.
“I was looking for aspirin tablets in the 11th inning,” then-Arkansas coach Norm DeBriyn told the Arkansas Democrat following the game. “I never found any.”
Texas A&M matched Arkansas scores in the top of the ninth and 14th innings to extend the game.
The Razorbacks went ahead for good when Greg D’Alexander hit a two-run bloop double in the top of the 16th. Phillip Stidham, pitching his eighth inning in relief, struck out the SWC’s leading hitter, John Byington, to end the game after Chuck Knoblauch hit a two-out single.
The game ended at 1:04 a.m.
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“I remember the atmosphere more than the actual game,” said Bubba Carpenter, a sophomore outfielder that season.
Carpenter also played at Texas A&M in 1991. Speaking on the Whole Hog Baseball Podcast, Carpenter said Texas A&M was the most hostile place to play in the SWC.
“I remember getting off the bus for [batting practice] and they lined the sidewalks and they were all over us from the time we got off the bus, during BP, everything we did in that game,” Carpenter said. “It was all choreographed. I grew up in Winslow and went to West Fork High School. We didn’t get giant crowds at George Cole Field….That was the first time I played in front of a really big crowd that was hostile. I loved it. I remember standing on deck and looking around thinking, ‘This is unbelievable.’
“I was amazed at how organized their rags were. They did everything in unison. They were prepared for everything you did.”
Carpenter, who is in seventh season as the color analyst for the Razorback Sports Network, expects Arkansas’ players to get similar treatment this week.
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“The key is: it’s baseball,” Carpenter said. “Don’t take it serious. Enjoy it….It’s a challenge for us. I think the makeup of this team, they’re going to go in there and eat it up. We don’t have guys that are nervous.”
Blue Bell Park has a listed capacity of 6,100, but portable bleachers will be added to the stadium to increase attendance and volume for the final series and postseason games.
“Their fans are loud and organized and they have a good time at the ballpark,” said Van Horn, who added, “It’s going to be wild down there.”
It always is when Arkansas and Texas A&M have a championship on the line.
On Wednesday, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders celebrated with University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) leadership additional funding the university will receive for the Department of Nursing and the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences (SAFHS). Through the Arkansas Linking Industry to Grow Nurses (ALIGN) grant, UAPB is one of nineteen 2- and 4-year colleges to benefit from the grant and will receive $1,004,000 to increase and strengthen its faculty. And UAPB’s land-grant match passed by the state legislature totaled $5.8 million, a $2 million increase over the previous budget.
“I’m very proud that my first budget as governor is prioritizing and investing in UAPB, Arkansas’s only land grant HBCU,” Governor Sanders said. “Together, these extra funds will help us fulfill [Founder] Joseph Corbin’s vision from so long ago, providing a high quality education to Arkansans with a special focus on our state’s black community.”
Sanders also touted the $20 million ALIGN grant from the state’s Office of Skills Development, saying “These funds will build up UAPB’s nursing program to address Arkansas’s nursing shortage and help put more graduates on the path to a good stable career.”
“This gift will allow the Department of Nursing to flourish, retain a faculty, recruit faculty, and provide professional development for our faculty members while supporting and nurses here in southeast Arkansas,” Dr. Brenda Jacobs, Nursing Department chair, said. “We will grow great nurses who will become a part of the health care workforce. It will take the entire village to assist us in becoming all that we can be. What a great day to stand on this campus and receive funding for the nursing department.”
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Nursing students join Governor Sanders, Chancellor Alexander, Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Andrea Stewart (3rd from right), Dr. Jacobs (4th from right) and a CHI St. Vincent Representative (fourth from left) at the Wednesday press conference.
“The governor’s support… is transformative for this particular campus,” said Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt, University of Arkansas System president. “The campus is able to budget the monies for the service it provides and to do so at the beginning of the year and then carry out the land-grant mission, which it serves in this community and also in the state.”
“I would like to just take this time to certainly thank Governor Sanders for your efforts… and that shows her leadership and how she’s gonna continue to advance this state and advance the residents of Arkansas,” Dr. Bruce McGowan, SAFHS’ interim dean and director said. “Our main goal… is to certainly, enhance our research and extension efforts for the Arkansas Delta region of the state, the underserved farming community and the producers of the state.”
“Thank you, governor, for the funding that you are bringing and directing to our university,” Chancellor Alexander said. “It’s important for the university’s advancement. It’s important for the students, the faculty, and the staff and the programs of our university that we can take this university, that as you mentioned, started in 1873, for the benefit of those who didn’t have… equal access to higher education. Thank you for your remembrance of that, and thank you for honoring that on today with these contributions.”
Arkansas produces some eye-opening numbers related to its robust poultry industry, which entails the production of broilers, eggs and turkeys.
The state ranks third in the nation in broiler production and value, third in the country for the number of turkeys produced, and seventh nationally for egg production value.
The value of all the broilers, eggs and turkeys produced in Arkansas each year is a whopping $6.7 billion, but the economic impact of the industry in the Natural States extends far beyond, said Marvin Childers, president of the Poultry Federation, a nonprofit advocacy group that represents producers, processors and other industry representatives in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Roughly 158,000 jobs are supported by the industry in Arkansas in 2024, according to the federation’s most recent data, and state jobs related to broiler production alone pay an average of $57,100 in annual wages and benefits.
Childers said the credit goes to the producers, processors and service providers his group represents.
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“The Poultry Federation has been around since 1954 and has been fortunate to have every poultry and egg company as a member,” he said. “Our membership is also blessed with over 300 allied members who sell goods or provide services to the poultry and egg companies. The federation board members understand the importance of our organization, and just as our predecessors did, we take seriously our mission to promote and protect the poultry and egg industry.”
As the federation celebrates its 64th annual Poultry Festival June 21 and 22 in Rogers, food safety will continue to be its top priority.
“We will also continue our efforts with workforce development issues by supporting [Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce labor recruitment program] Be Pro Be Proud,” Childers said. “We must be mindful of the supply and demand of all poultry and egg products and continue to look at how we sustainably continue to provide the safest, most abundant and most affordable food products that feed the world.”
Keith Smith, vice president of sales at Keith Smith Co. in Hot Springs, the federation’s incoming board chair, will replace Duane Weems, live operations manager at Peco Foods in Pocahontas. Like Weems, Smith has served in every board officer position.
Childers said Weems and Smith have been reliable leaders for the federation.
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“Duane is one of our go-to guys when we need expertise and advice at the federation,” he said. “He oversaw the planning and construction of the Peco processing plant in Pocahontas and the Peco feed mill in Corning in 2016. Duane has been an outstanding chairman and will continue to serve on our board and executive committee.
Smith will follow in his father’s footsteps as board chair. Jim Smith served in multiple board positions, including his stint as chair in 2017 and 2018.
“Keith has grown up in the hatching egg industry and observed his father’s service on the Poultry Federation board for many years,” Childers said. “Keith has the leadership skills to lead our board and will bring fresh ideas to what we as a board need to focus on. He is a hands-on person and is looking forward to leading the board as we prepare for the 2025 legislative session.”
Weems said he is leaving the board in good hands and that the future of the industry looks bright.
“The Poultry Federation works hard to make a positive impact for the industry, customers and states where our members do business,” he said. “We have seen the federation grow through outreach and educational programs such as the festival, the Food Safety Conference and the symposium to name a few. Being aligned with such a dynamic network is invaluable.”
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Smith said he is looking forward to carrying on the work of his father, Weems and others.
“My dad was involved in the Poultry Federation for decades, and it’s been an honor to serve on the board with Marvin Childers and his team,” he said. “Our family business is completing 80 years in operation this year, and we spend a lot of time talking about our purpose, vision, mission and stewardship — how we manage the company’s talents with a servant’s heart. My vision for the Poultry Federation is do my part with others in guiding the federation for continued long term success for the poultry industry where it is today, as well as where it will be in 15 years.”
This year’s Poultry Festival will serve as the symbolic transition to Smith’s term as chair. For the industry, even beyond the Poultry Federation’s three-state footprint, it also serves as a celebration of the field — the producers, processors and service providers — and the impact they have on local communities. Within the industry, it is an event marked on every calendar.
Toby Tapp, complex manager for Wayne-Sanderson Farms’ Danville facility, even likened it to a family reunion.
“The poultry festival is a celebration of the poultry and egg industry, and it’s a highlight for us every year — a chance to network, see people we work with from across the state and nation and come together as an industry and industry supporters,” he said. “Poultry is at the center of the Arkansas economy, and it impacts so much more than just the producers like Wayne-Sanderson Farms. It’s kind of like a family reunion — producers, farm partners who grow our chickens, local businesses, area contractors, suppliers and even consumers. We’re all connected to the poultry business, and the festival is a fantastic opportunity to champion the industry while visiting with old friends.”
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Shane Acosta, assistant vice president and general manager at Cargill in Springdale, said he is unaware of any industry event as robust and effective as the Poultry Festival.
“It holds immense significance for producers and processors in the poultry industry as it offers a prime opportunity for market exposure, networking and brand promotion,” he said. “The Poultry Festival serves as a platform for showcasing products, engaging with consumers and gathering valuable market insights. Additionally, the festival fosters community connection and supports local economies, making it a crucial event for industry stakeholders to enhance visibility, forge partnerships, and stay attuned to consumer preferences and market trends.”
The festival will include the annual scholarship auction, which raises money for the Poultry Federation’s Allied Industries scholarships through items or experiences donated by industry stakeholders. For the 2023-2024 academic year, the federation distributed $156,000 in scholarships to 24 undergraduate and 17 graduate students pursuing industry-related careers in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
Acosta, who launched the federation’s annual Food Safety Conference, said the scholarships represent one of the federation’s most important roles.
“The scholarship auction is of paramount importance as it provides significant opportunities for supporting the educational pursuits of students within the poultry industry,” he said. “These scholarships not only alleviate the financial burden for students but also facilitate access to education and career advancement opportunities within the industry. Moreover, the auction fosters a sense of community and collaboration among industry members as they come together to invest in the future talent of the poultry sector. Overall, the scholarship auction serves as a vital mechanism for promoting education, fostering talent development, and ensuring the continued growth and success of the poultry industry.”
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Childers said the poultry industry, like any other, has its challenges, but he lauded the work of federation members who understand the industry’s vital role.
“I have served as president of the Poultry Federation for the past 17 years, and it is an honor and privilege to work with an organization that believes in our mission,” he said. “Our members are some of the most dedicated members, and we strive daily to meet the mission. We are also fortunate to have our Little Rock staff, Holly Duval, director of marketing and business development, and Annie Hounsel, business operations coordinator, who both do an excellent job. We could not do what we do without them.”
Duane Weems on industry challenges and opportunities:
There are many opportunities in today’s ever-changing world. Two of these are poultry health/biosecurity and sustainability. Biosecurity is always at the forefront of our management practices, and recent disease challenges make this even more of a priority. Also, we must continue to operate in a sustainable manner. Therefore, we must look for ways to continually improve.
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Keith Smith on industry strengths:
Our industry is one of the most efficient in the world at providing nutritious, safe and affordable proteins — so efficient, in fact, that turkey, eggs and broilers require on average 33 percent fewer feed inputs per pound than the next most efficient protein, pork. I believe we can do a better job of communicating our industry’s role in stewarding natural resources to feed our communities, our nation and beyond.
Duane Weems on safety:
The industry has addressed concerns and made strides on food safety by implementing a total systematic approach to mitigate risk. Examples are the use of in-process monitoring and process control versus finished product reaction, multi-hurdle pathogen control programs, and the use of advanced technology as they become available.
Keith Smith on working with the Poultry Federation:
The investment in time and resources we put into the federation has had exceptional returns. The business environment that the state of Arkansas provides to our company and growers to operate in is a key part of the recipe for success, and the function that the federation serves in protecting and promoting those interests is paramount. Part of our company’s longevity can be attributed to good partnerships; we see value in the federation’s support and representation of our allied industry members and their efforts to help create one of the most robust food supply chains in the nation.
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The POULTRY FEDERATION 2024 | ARKANSAS FACTS & FIGURES
Arkansas ranks third in the nation in broiler production and value.
• Number of broilers produced: 1.03 billion
• Pounds produced: 7.44 billion
• Value of production: $5.31 billion
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• The broiler industry creates and supports 143,078 jobs in the state.
• In 2022, the industry was responsible for as much as $35.03 billion in total economic activity throughout the state.
• Jobs in this industry subset pay an average of $57,100 per year in wages and benefits.
Arkansas ranks third in the nation for the number of turkeys produced.
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• Number of turkeys raised: 27 million
• Pounds produced: 542 million
• Value of production: $510 million
• The turkey industry creates and supports 13,399 jobs in the state.
• In 2022, the industry was responsible for as much as $3.36 billion in total economic activity throughout the state.
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• Jobs in this industry subset pay an average of $51,700 in wages and benefits.
Arkansas ranks seventh in the nation for egg production value.
• Number of eggs produced: 3.9 billion
• Value of production: $843 million
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• The egg industry creates and supports 1,162 jobs in the state.
• In 2022, the industry was responsible for as much as $327.84 million in total economic activity across out the state.
• Jobs in this industry subset pay an average of $43,000 per year in wages and benefits.
More than 6,500 farms in Arkansas produce some type of poultry.
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• Benton County is the No. 1 poultry-producing county.
• Other top production counties in rank order: Washington, Madison, Carol, Yell Hempstead, Howard, Sevier and Logan.
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