Agriculture is the Future Says Strain

by Don Molino

In his daily report on the Voice of Louisiana Agriculture Radio Network, Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain said “Field To Market” has just published a highly anticipated 2016 national indicator report outlining improvements made to on farm sustainability measured from 1980 through this year.

The report evaluated ten crops, using several environmental indicators including bio-diversity, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, irrigated water use, land use, soil conservation and water quality.

Strain pointed out rice has been one of the original crops analyzed since the report was first published over ten years ago and it has seen vast improvements during that study.

The study points out the last ten years has seen increased soil conservation with sustainability and substantially less soil erosion taking place on rice farming operations.  And the report points out on a per acre basis, rice consistently demonstrated the lowest per acre soil erosion of all six crops examined.

“Agriculture is the answer” to our future, said Strain.