Hay acreage declined in the southeastern United States in 2024, but the region's hay production rose 2%, and was up 17% in Arkansas, according to the Crop Production Summary from National Agricultural Statistics Service.
In the southeast -- a region comprised of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia -- hay stocks on May 1 reached 2.80 million tons, up 15% from the previous year.
Read MoreClick below for the market report from the latest Red River Livestock Auction.
Read MoreClick below for the market report from the latest Kinder Livestock Auction.
Read MoreAshton Landry, McNeese State University alumna, is well on her way to becoming a veterinarian after completing McNeese’s agricultural sciences program. Her path is one that current pre-veterinary students, like junior Madison Watson and sophomore Jade Bel, want to follow.
From the start of her college career, Landry knew she wanted to attend veterinary school. To begin, she chose to study agricultural sciences at McNeese. The small class sizes and hands-on program made it a great choice for her.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter is excited to host six Master Cattleman Programs throughout the state this spring. The Master Cattleman Program is designed to help beef cattle and forage producers enhance their production and profitability. Participants must complete 30 hours, which includes 10 three-hour blocks of instruction, to become a certified Louisiana Master Cattleman.
Read MoreThe 2025 LSU AgCenter State Livestock Show, set for Feb. 11-18 at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, has been dedicated to Donaldsonville native Frank Sotile.
He exhibited his first 4-H steer at the LSU show in 1950 when he was 9 years old, sparking a lifetime of dedication to the organization, according to the AgCenter.
Read MoreAcross the nation, bird flu is destroying flocks and creating egg shortages. In Southeast Louisiana, farmers are filling that poultry gap.
Kickn' Chickn' Farm is a homestead in Zachary that sells eggs. Over the past three weeks, Owners Chris and Nicole Young said business has grown and now the farm has backorders for all the eggs demanded.
Read MoreThe United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the resumption of cattle and bison imports from Mexico. Imports are scheduled to resume within the next several days.
To protect U.S. livestock and other animals, APHIS halted shipments of Mexican cattle and bison in November 2024 after a positive detection of New World screwworm (NWS) in southern Mexico.
Read MoreMembers 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.
Read MoreOn Saturday, February 1, the 2024 4-H District Livestock Show and Sale of Champions was held at the Alexandria Mega Shelter.
Read MoreAll cattle and calves in Louisiana as of January 1, 2025, totaled 720,000 head, were unchanged from January 1, 2024. The calf crop for the full year of 2024 was 325,000 head, down 2 percent from last year. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 425,000 head, were down 2 percent from January 1, 2024.
Read MoreThere were 86.7 million head of cattle and calves on U.S. farms as of Jan. 1, 2025, according to the Cattle report published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
Read MoreThe effects of last week’s freeze are still being felt across the Lake Area, especially in the farming industry.
Many farms reported several inches of snow.
“To see the entire thing covered in white snow, and the trees, it was just a sight I thought I’d never seen here in South Louisiana,” Driftwood Farm Owner Hilery Gobert said.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreSmall farmers from throughout the state will gather at the Maurice A. Edmond Livestock Arena from February 27 – March 1, 2025, to compete for an opportunity to be named grand champion during the Southern University Ag Center’s 82nd Annual State Livestock and Poultry Show.
Several events have been planned leading up to the Annual Show. These events include the Boots and Bling Affair, a Livestock Give Day, and an Educational Expo for local students.
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