Louisiana Growers Wrap Up 2025 & Prep for 2026

By Kane Webb

USA Rice

CROWLEY, LA – With cooler temperatures setting in, drier weather is being traded for rainy weather in south Louisiana these days, making it easier for growers to attend annual winter meetings as they wrap up the season ahead of the USA Rice Outlook Conference and the upcoming holidays. 

Over the past few weeks, the Cal Cam Rice Growers Association, Evangeline Rice Growers Association, the Allen Parish Rice Growers Association, and the Louisiana Rice Growers Association Board have met in different venues to review the 2025 rice crop and scheduled events on tap for early 2026, and to get reports from USA Rice and the Louisiana State University Rice Research Station on the latest news from the fields all the way to Washington, DC.

Along with a chance to hear from Dr. Tyler Musgrove, the new state rice specialist, growers took the time to ask questions about the upcoming crop, options they may want to consider in their plans, and get a better understanding of the work being done to help address the rice delphacid situation. Growers are also concerned about the current economic situation and were eager to learn of any new developments on possible assistance for the 2025 crop year that has been talked about over the last few months. 

“While current ag discussion topics don’t garner much enthusiasm, the gathering of peers to enjoy catching up, sharing a good meal and refreshments together does, and it showed at each meeting,” said Kane Fontenot, a rice grower from Evangeline Parish. “Everyone is looking forward to attending the USA Rice Outlook Conference next week in New Orleans to learn more about the current state of the industry and hear predictions for the 2026 crop planting, which is only 12 weeks away for some rice regions.” 

Several grower groups still have meetings on the calendar: the Jeff Davis Parish Rice Growers on January 6 in Lake Arthur; and the NELA and CenLA Rice Growers Association annual winter meetings on January 27 in Rayville, and Bunkie, respectively.