USDA Seeking Information From Farmers About Fertilizer ‘Cartel’ Practices
U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden was in Iowa Friday, asking farmers from across the country to share their experiences dealing with consolidation and pricing issues in the fertilizer industry.
Vaden, who previously served as a judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade and as USDA’s general counsel, said the individual stories from farmers will help as the U.S. Federal Trade Commission investigates the industry for potential unfair pricing or anti-competitive practices.
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US Rail Fuel Surcharges on Grain Hit Record Highs, Squeezing Farmers in Harvest Season
Railroad fuel surcharges on U.S. grain shipments have more than doubled over the past year, rippling through the farm belt and raising transportation costs as many farmers also struggle with higher production costs.
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LDAF Enforcement Agents Arrest Colfax Man for Simple Arson
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Enforcement agents have arrested a 38-year-old Colfax man in connection with an investigation into a wildfire in Rapides Parish.
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USDA Looks to Strengthen U.S. Ag Trade with Venezuela
The Trump administration is continuing to take steps to help improve market access for U.S. producers in Latin America.
USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg says the agency is helping provide humanitarian relief in Venezuela after two recent earthquakes. “The history they’ve had with our farmers and ranchers as a trading partner has been a bit of a sad story in the past decade or so. Once upon a time, Venezuela was once a top 10 ag export market for U.S. producers.”
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Louisiana USDA Crop Data
The USDA has released updated estimates for Louisiana’s 2026 crop production, including acreage, yields and total production for major commodities across the state.
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Get Lost in Fun at the Corn Maze at Burden This October
For another year, the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden will host the Corn Maze at Burden.
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Dove Baiting Drives 141 Citations on Louisiana Season Opener
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on Friday reported that enforcement agents issued 141 citations for alleged dove hunting violations during the opening weekend of the 2026-27 dove hunting season, with most of the violations involving hunting over bait.
The citations were issued last Saturday through Labor Day, according to Wildlife and Fisheries. Agents issued 135 citations on Saturday, including 102 citations for hunting migratory game birds over bait, 12 for placing bait to take migratory game birds and seven for aiding and abetting others in hunting migratory game birds over bait.
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Dubach Gearing Up for Annual Louisiana Chicken Festival
Downtown Dubach will again celebrate one of Lincoln Parish’s largest industries when the 37th annual Louisiana Chicken Festival returns Sept. 25–26.
The festival beauty pageant is set for Sept. 19 at Dubach School.
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Orion Renewable Energy Meets With Moss Bluff Residents Over Proposed 4,700-acre Solar Installation
Orion Renewable Energy met with residents Wednesday at the Calcasieu Parish Library in Moss Bluff to discuss its proposed Persimmon Energy Center, a solar farm spanning nearly 5,000 acres that has drawn mixed reactions from the surrounding community.
The one-on-one conversations gave residents a chance to ask questions and voice concerns directly to Orion representatives.
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The Secretary of Agriculture Designates 3 Parishes in Louisiana as Natural Disaster Areas Due to Flooding caused by Tropical Storm Arthur
A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in primary parishes and those areas contiguous to such primary parishes eligible to be considered for Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loan assistance, provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible areas have 8 months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans. FSA considers each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses on the farm and the security and repayment ability of the operator.
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SpaceX Coming to Louisiana
For generations, agriculture has helped shape the economy, landscape and culture of Vermilion Parish. Rice fields, crawfish ponds and sugarcane farms stretch across the parish toward Louisiana’s Gulf Coast.
Now, another industry is preparing to put down roots alongside them.
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Financing the Farm: A Look at USDA Farm Loan Programs
Farming requires significant capital. Producers pay for seed, fertilizer, feed, fuel and other inputs months and sometimes years before crops are harvested or livestock are sold. Buying farmland, machinery and other long-term assets often require even more financing.
Those needs are growing. USDA projects total production costs for major field crops to reach new highs in 2027.
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Crop Market Report - September 2026
This month’s 2026/27 U.S. corn outlook is for smaller supplies, lower domestic use, unchanged exports, and reduced ending stocks. Projected beginning stocks for 2026/27 are 23 million bushels lower based primarily on a larger export forecast for 2025/26. Corn production for 2026/27 is forecast at 15.8 billion bushels, 213 million down from last month on a 2.2-bushel reduction in yield to 178.5 bushels per acre and a fractional decrease in harvested area to 88.5 million.
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Louisiana Shrimpers Seek Federal Help Amidst Economic Crises
Louisiana shrimpers say that industry is under increasing pressure as they struggle with low dockside prices, rising operating costs and competition from imported shrimp.
Acy Cooper, president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association, says the pressure starts at the dock, where the price fishermen receive for their catch can make it difficult to justify the cost of going out.
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Diesel Prices in Louisiana Reach All-Time High, but there’s Hope on the Horizon
Diesel prices in Louisiana have never been higher. The statewide average for diesel is almost $5.59 a gallon. Interestingly, this comes as the average for regular unleaded gasoline is not close to record territory – currently at $3.85, well short of the record of almost $4.56, set in June of 2022. Don Redman with AAA says the United States, being one of the leading exporters of diesel, is having to export a lot more, especially to Europe.
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