Grilling season is here or at least that is what the calendar says! Yes, Ma Nature may have a different game plan for us as she seems to be having most of 2026 so far. Let’s pray that by Father’s Day the weather gets back to “normal”.
China’s renewed demand for U.S. soybeans is providing optimism for American farmers as officials expect the country to follow through on a major purchasing commitment tied to the 2026 crop.
The cotton jassid or two-spot cotton leafhopper, Amrasca biguttula, is an invasive leafhopper species threatening Louisiana. First detected in 2023, it was reported in Florida during 2025 and spread across multiple southeastern states later the same year
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on June 1, 2026, issued a disaster designation extends to 3 contiguous parishes in Louisiana, East Carroll, Madison and Tensas.
May's rains have brought significant relief to Louisiana's drought conditions, which peaked in severity and coverage during April after months of dry weather tied to La Niña. Much of the state has seen noticeable improvement thanks to a wetter-than-normal May, and early indications suggest the rainfall arrived just in time to benefit many agricultural producers. However, the full impact remains to be seen, particularly in northwestern Louisiana, where drought conditions have been slower to improve.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the detection of a New World screwworm (NWS) in a bovine in Zavala County, Texas. NWS is a serious pest that affects livestock, pets, wildlife, and less commonly, people and birds. NWS larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of living animals, causing serious damage to livestock and economic losses.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on USDA’s announcement that the first case of New World screwworm (NWS) has been reported in the United States.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is expanding payment limitation and payment eligibility provisions that affect program payments including allowing for the equitable treatment of business entities. Additionally, producers will benefit from an increased payment limitation for certain programs, and a broader definition of farming income that will result in more exceptions to income limitations.
Today, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) CEO Colin Woodall responded to the announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that one case of New World Screwworm has been detected in a calf in South Texas.
Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins launched the Small Processors Action Plan (PDF, 2.3 MB), a new set of actions to better support small and very small meat and poultry processing plants, improve customer service, and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens while maintaining strong food safety protections for consumers.
El Niño is expected to develop during this year’s hurricane season, and while El Niño years typically produce fewer storms across the Atlantic and generally lower the risk for Louisiana, it does not eliminate the threat of tropical weather.
Farmers could see reduced grain hauling costs and fewer transportation bottlenecks under a proposal moving through Congress that would permit heavier six-axle semitrailers on interstate highways. The measure is designed to improve freight efficiency for agricultural shippers who routinely face rising input costs, limited truck availability during peak harvest periods, and continued pressure on rural logistics networks that move large volumes of grain to market.
The hardest thing to grow on an American farm right now isn’t corn or soybeans — it’s a profit margin. Between competition from Brazil, Argentina and other countries and the unpredictable nature of trade deals, many U.S. growers are finding survival, much less profitability, an uphill climb in 2026.
President Donald Trump has announced tariff reductions on certain agricultural and industrial equipment, a move that could help ease some cost pressures facing farmers and machinery dealers.
LSU student Keana Howard, who will begin as a master’s student at the College of Agriculture this fall, was awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship on May 1. The award is given to undergraduate or graduate university students that demonstrate notable achievements in their research and complete a comprehensive application process.
The Feliciana Forestry Association, one of the oldest forestry associations in Louisiana, has been connecting landowners across the Felicianas since 1994.
President Donald Trump on Monday adjusted tariffs on some steel, aluminum and copper imports, lowering some tariffs on farming equipment and extending the lower rate to other equipment.
In an executive order, Trump lowered tariffs on agricultural equipment, including combines and harvesters, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, to 15% from 25%.
Louisiana will soon see tougher regulations on imported seafood with the passage of a slew of laws designed to support the state’s shrimpers, whose industry has struggled for decades to compete with cheap foreign imports.
A provision in the House-passed farm bill is drawing criticism from farmers and renewable energy advocates who say it could limit opportunities for solar development on productive agricultural land.
The June 1, 2026 USDA NASS national crop progress database shows that while Louisiana's corn and cotton crops are steadily progressing, they have experienced different impacts from recent weather.
The cotton market trudged through the week, looking for even a sliver of the bullish momentum it had enjoyed the prior two-plus months. Yet it finds itself stuck in the high 70s and unable to break above the 80-cent barrier, which has now become a rather stiff price resistance level. The only fundamental of consequence at work in the market is Mother Nature.
China is increasing agricultural support for Cuba through rice aid and technical projects, adding a food-security tie in the region. Retired USDA economist Fred Gale reports Chinese rice shipments to Cuba rose sharply during the first four months of 2026
Bloomberg's Josh Sisco reported that "the Federal Trade Commission recently launched an antitrust investigation into the rising costs of fertilizer in the US, the agency's head said at an event in Texas on Thursday."
Reuters' Heather Schlitz reported that "a devastating parasitic fly that eats warm-blooded animals alive and could cause millions of dollars in economic damage to the U.S. economy has been found in a young sheep in Mexico within 31 miles (50 km) of the U.S. border, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Friday."
Listen to the latest markets and headlines in Louisiana Agriculture on The Voice of Louisiana Agriculture Radio Network.