Louisiana's agriculture commissioner met with flood-affected farmers in Opelousas on Monday, urging them to meticulously document their losses as crop damage from catastrophic flooding in Avoyelles and St. Landry parishes climbs into the millions of dollars.

Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain traveled to Opelousas to outline the steps farmers must take to access state and federal assistance following flooding that inundated miles of farm fields and forced livestock to seek higher ground about a week and a half ago.

A long-standing priority of Louisiana Farm Bureau and years of advocacy by Congresswoman Julia Letlow have culminated in legislation that will soon become law.

Upon President Trump’s signature of the Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act, critical disaster recovery reforms for Louisiana farmers, ranchers and forest landowners will take effect. That will bring faster recovery when farmers are most in need.

Louisiana lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are sponsoring legislation that would reclassify those who work on crawfish farms. Congressmen Troy Carter, Cleo Fields and Clay Higgins are joining forces in proposing what’s known as the CRAW (Crawfish Reclassification for Agricultural Workforce) Act. Andy Brown with the Louisiana Farm Bureau says Congress had gotten it wrong by not classifying crawfish processors as agricultural workers.

Farmers, ranchers and agricultural leaders from across Louisiana gathered for the 104th Annual Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention to discuss the issues and policies affecting the agriculture industry.

Louisiana Farm Bureau President Richard Fontenot said members spent time discussing everything from the Farm Bill to labor reform.

The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation’s Livestock Advisory Committee is responding to the needs expressed by Central Louisiana ranchers following last week’s devastating floods. The Louisiana Farm Bureau Hay Clearinghouse connects ranchers who have an abundance of hay with those who lost pastures and forage to ensure their cattle, horses and other livestock can stay alive through this disaster.

Macy Rushing remembers her brother encouraging her to create social media posts about her daily life as a cattle rancher in Louisiana's East Feliciana Parish.

"I told him, 'There is nothing interesting about my day,'" said Rushing, who works with her husband, Matt, on their farm.

A 19-year-old from Tangipahoa Parish took home the title of 2026 Louisiana Farm Bureau Queen at the group's 104th annual convention.

Jean Treas earned the crown after competing with 21 young women from across the state. The contest included an interview about agriculture, a style show and an evening gown presentation.

A slimmed down Republican Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain, who is already the state's longest-serving statewide elected official, said he will run for a sixth term in 2027.

Strain spoke at the Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention in New Orleans over the weekend.

Acadiana Farmer Richard Fontenot will continue to lead Louisiana's most influential agriculture voice as president of Farm Bureau, which wields considerable political clout and lobbies to set policy for the state's $13 billion industry.

Fontenot was elected June 21 to a third one-year term as president at the Farm Bureau Convention in New Orleans.

A one-page bill sponsored by an unlikely team of U.S. congressmen could hold the key to stabilizing the crawfish industry.

As we previously reported, several processing plants across the state were left without H2B visa workers to peel crawfish. Farmers say it sent shockwaves across the industry.

Last week, the Louisiana Farm Bureau (LAFB) held its 104th Annual Convention here, featuring a host of speakers and panels focused on the challenges and opportunities facing producers in Louisiana.  

Delegates also convened for official business and LAFB elections, including that of Richard Fontenot, a fourth-generation rice farmer from Ville Platte, who was reelected to serve his third term as president, and, of course, to share in the celebration of the newest LAFB Queen, Jean Treas from Tangipahoa Parish.

Serious, flooding rain will be possible through at least Friday. As I write this late Monday afternoon there are wide ranging rainfall totals across the state. Some areas in the coastal marshes haven’t seen rain, and other areas have seen over 5 inches, with maximum radar estimates approaching 9 inches. This is a fast start to what will be a long term, and serious rain event across Louisiana.

America’s farmers are facing a labor crisis. Continued agriculture workforce shortages threaten farmers’ ability to grow the food families rely on. Many labor challenges are addressed in new legislation introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson. The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026 builds on recommendations of the bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group and modernizes the H-2A visa program by expanding access to a year-round workforce and eliminating unpredictable swings in wage rates, among other changes.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalizing the registrations of new pesticide products that provide farmers with additional tools to protect their crops.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented on President Trump’s executive order to lift countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizers from Morocco through early next year.

American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall today applauded the White House request to Congress for more than $11 billion in additional assistance for America's farmers and ranchers, as well as the administration's call for year-round access to E15 fuel.

American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall commented on the Senate farm bill discussion draft released today by Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. 

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the Trump administration’s clarification of a key aspect of farm labor access for the dairy sector.

“Farmers thank the Trump administration for addressing the farm labor crisis by expanding H-2A access for certain dairy jobs. The reality is clear - fewer Americans choose to work on farms while the need for qualified workers increases, creating a difficult labor market for U.S. farm families.

The American Farm Bureau Federation, with support from Farm Credit, is seeking applicants for the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence. The award recognizes U.S. military veterans or service members for excellence in farming or agriculture and positively impacting local communities.

The American Farm Bureau Federation today launched a photo contest to celebrate the contributions of America’s farmers in growing America into the nation it is today. The contest is part of Farm Bureau’s FARM 250 initiative, marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Farm country has endured three consecutive years of worsening economic conditions, spreading financial stress across much of rural America.
A prolonged cost-price squeeze has increased demand for credit, reduced equipment purchases and contributed to a slight uptick in farm bankruptcies.

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 American Farm Bureau Federation’s Women’s Leadership Committee, with support from JBS and CoBank, is unveiling the results of a new national study intended to guide programming dedicated to women in agriculture for the next five years.

After nearly 21 million birds were affected by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) between January and March 2026, detections have fallen, with less than 10,000 birds affected so far in May. The resulting increase in egg supply comes during a time of softened demand.