Bird Flu Epidemic Requires Intervention
With avian flu wiping out chicken populations and driving up egg prices, people have been struggling for solutions. US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr has suggested that instead of culling birds that are affected, farmers should consider letting the disease run through the flock to identify and preserve birds that are immune to it.
Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain emphasizes the terrible impact that would have on the industry thusly: “There might be two chickens left when it’s over.”
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Crab Harvest is Bountiful This Season
Craving seafood? Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says this is the time to get some crabs from your favorite local seafood spot … because they’re some of the BIGGEST he’s ever seen.
“I was in St. Bernard Parish at White Boot Warriors and he’s got some of the biggest crabs I’ve ever seen. I’ve been doing this a long time and I’ve never crabs this fat,” Strain pointed out enthusiastically.
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Ag Commissioner Mike Strain Suggests Importing Eggs to Lower Prices
There isn't anybody who's been in the grocery store in the past few months that hasn't dealt with the exorbitant cost of eggs. Or maybe it's the 'eggsorbitant' cost of eggs. Sorry, trying to inject a little humor into a basically humorless situation.
But the crisis hasn't gone unnoticed by Louisiana state officials. Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain recently met with Brooke Rollins, Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture, about how to get a handle on egg prices, and what to do about the effects of Bird Influenza.
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Louisiana Commercial Poultry Untouched by Bird Flu, Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain Says
As the nation combats high egg prices due to viral chicken deaths, Louisiana officials say the state's poultry farmers remain unaffected. The virus is in the state, killing wild bird populations. The key, experts say, may be Louisiana cattle.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is spending $1 billion in a five-pronged approach to combat this year's predicted 40% increase in egg prices.
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Plainview Men Arrested For Theft Of LDAF Property
On January 31, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) personnel reported several items stolen from the LDAF Plainview Tower building in Rapides Parish. Stolen items included a 2021 Honda ATV, a burn tank sprayer, a Stihl chainsaw, and a Stihl backpack blower.
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Saddle Microchipping Event Held in Opelousas
Members of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture were in St. Landry Parish on Friday, January 31, to help the Acadiana equine community protect expensive assets.
The agency's Livestock Brand Commission was on hand at Louisiana Equine Sales and Event Center in Opelousas to put microchips in saddles.
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Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) Fiscal Year 2025 Application Cycle Open
Need help paying off that student debt AND plan on practicing in Louisiana?! Listen up!!
The USDA offers a veterinary medicine loan repayment program (VLRMP) that helps pay off student debt in return for service in areas where there is a shortage of large animal veterinarians. This program allows you to live in attractive locations, while practicing food animal medicine in a more rural setting.
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LDAF Accepting Applications For 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) is now accepting applications for the 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), funded through the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS).
Applications must be received no later than the close of business (4:30 p.m.) Friday, March 17, 2025.
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NOTICE: Final Rule - Seafood Consumer Protection
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, pursuant to ACT 148 in the 2024 Regular Session submitted a Notice of Intent with the Louisiana State Register giving public notice that the Department, through the Office of Agro-Consumer Services, Weights and Measures Division, intended to adopt LAC 7:XXXV.Chapter 5. Subchapter C. Seafood Consumer Protection.
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Livestock Brand Commission To Host Saddle Microchipping Event January 31
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Livestock Brand Commission will host its next saddle microchipping event on Friday, January 31, from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. It will be held at the Louisiana Equine Sales and Event Center located at 372 Harry Guilbeau Road, Opelousas.
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Blizzard on the Bayou: Mike Strain Comments on Louisiana’s First-ever Blizzard Warning
Producers in south Lousiana have hunkered down as the region experiences its first-ever blizzard warning.
Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Mike Strain joined RFD-TV’s own Tammi Arender to talk about current conditions across the state, if the community was prepared for this warning, and what ripple effects lay ahead for agriculture.
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Louisiana to Start Enforcing New Imported Seafood Labeling Law
Louisiana’s new law that requires that imported seafood be clearly labeled on packaging and menus will start to be enforced by the Louisiana Department of Health.
Act 372 mandates that if a retailer, restaurant, or supplier is selling imported shrimp, crawfish or other seafood it must clearly be labeled. The state Department of Agriculture will begin looking for such labels during their regular weights and measures checks.
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Is Louisiana Prepared to Fight its Next Wildfire Outbreak as Los Angeles Burns?
Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain said his agency is better equipped to fight the kind of wildfires devastating California than it was in 2023 during Louisiana's worst wildfire season in a century.
"We've upped our game," said Strain, whose agency oversees wildland fires in Louisiana, in an interview with USA Today Network Tuesday.
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Three More CWD Deer Cases Found in 3 New Parishes, According to LDAF
Louisiana’s Chronic Wasting Disease news took another turn for the worse last week when a state agency reported three more positive cases in captive deer facilities in three new parishes. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry said it detected the cases while investigating movement records following a CWD positive test found in a Jeff Davis Parish facility in November.
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LDAF Encourages Preparation For Freezing Temperatures
With temperatures dipping near or below freezing in parts of the state this week, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., urges livestock and pet owners to take necessary precautions to protect their animals. This is also the time to protect plants, pipes, and, of course, people.
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