Carbon Capture Key Topic for Farm Bureau Board Meeting

The Richland Parish Farm Bureau Board discussed the growing controversy surrounding carbon capture projects, including eminent domain concerns, during its July 7 meeting.

Burch Pierce, second vice president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Board of Directors, said carbon capture first appeared in Louisiana legislation in 2009, but interest increased significantly after additional legislation was introduced in 2020.

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'Seeing is Believing': New tech, Methods Could Make NWLA Farmers More Money

It has been a challenging time for farmers. First tariffs, and more recently, restrictions on ships in the Strait of Hormuz carrying fertilizer or the elements and compounds in it, have increased the cost of bringing crops to harvest.  

LSU Ag Center’s Dr. Peters Egbedi said farmers have dealt with the increases in different ways. Some, anticipating price hikes, purchased extra fertilizer early.

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ConnectLA Celebrates Volt Broadband Expansion

State and local leaders joined ConnectLA and Volt Broadband today to celebrate the completion of a broadband expansion project connecting homes and businesses in Northeast Louisiana, marking another milestone in Louisiana's statewide effort to connect every community with reliable, affordable high-speed internet.

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Avery Davidson
For Louisiana Sugarcane Producers, Huge Harvest Tempered by Arrival of Invasive Insect

The predictions of a harvest increase over last year’s were undercut by the news of the arrival of a worrisome, invasive insect at the LSU AgCenter’s annual Sugar Research Station field day July 15.

At the outset of the day, AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Services is indicating a 5,000-to-6,000-acre increase over last year’s crop, with a clearer focus coming into view in August.

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Persistent Losses Leave Farmers Needing Economic Support

Crop farmers continue to face elevated production costs, lower commodity prices and tight margins – with no relief on the horizon. AFBF analysis projects 2027 will mark a sixth year of negative returns over total costs for most major row crops. Specialty crop farmers are experiencing similar financial strain, facing expected below-breakeven prices and acreage reductions across major fruit, vegetable and tree nut sectors in 2026, even as limited public data make the full scale of losses difficult to measure. At the same time, fertilizer and fuel prices remain volatile, with the Iran conflict adding additional pressure to those markets.

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Remembering Maxwell Amos "Mack" Lea Jr.

Dr. Maxwell Amos Lea Jr., 79, "Mack," a resident of Zachary, LA, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 13, 2026.

Mack was an active member of the Louisiana Cattleman’s Association, Zachary Rotary Club, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and enjoyed volunteering weekly at the Zachary Food Pantry.

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Farmer Losses Projected To Deepen

Several years of high inflation and low commodity prices, coupled with volatile production costs, are continuing to squeeze farmers financially. These forces are projected to hit farmers with $32 billion in losses for the major row crops in 2027 after a projected loss of $31 billion in 2026. Fruit, vegetable, nut and other specialty crop farmers faced billions of dollars in losses in 2025, with difficult market conditions continuing throughout 2026.

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House Republicans Unveil $95B Reconciliation Package Framework

House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a budget framework for a roughly $95 billion reconciliation package that would provide funding for defense, farm aid and state efforts to implement voter ID requirements in elections.

The resolution marks the opening salvo in Republicans’ effort to use the budget reconciliation process one final time to advance key GOP priorities while they still control both chambers of Congress and the White House.

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USDAAvery Davidson
The Farmer's Forecast: Dog Days of Summer

It looks like Louisiana is about to get a taste of the dog days of summer. Drier air is moving in as an upper level low drifts westward over Texas, and brings our organized rain threat along with it. Dangerous flooding will impact parts of the Texas Hill Country toward the Rio Grande River. For us, it'll be all about how hot things get. I expect highs to get close to 100 over a good chunk of Louisiana by early next week.

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