By Dustin Harrell, Dartez, Valerie, Famoso, Adam
LSU AgCenter
Rice production in southwest Louisiana began in earnest during the early 1880s. The rice industry rapidly increased in the region in the years that followed. From 1896 to 1909, rice acreage in southwest Louisiana expanded from 148,000 to 370,000 acres with average rice yields ranging from a low of 855 pounds per acre in 1896 to a high of 1,642 pounds per acre in 1908. Rice industry leaders in the region recognized the importance of rice to southwest Louisiana and began to take measures to ensure the sustainability of the rice industry. The leaders knew that if the rice industry was to maintain a foothold in the region, experimentation and incorporation of improved rice cultivars and agriculture practices would be essential.