Louisiana sugarcane is a stubborn crop. Battling extremes in heat and cold, invasive pests, sandy soils and the inevitability of destructive hurricanes means sugarcane farmers like the Judice family in St. Mary Parish, need to be as resilient as the crop itself.
Read MoreThe American Sugar Cane League announced today that it has reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor in its lawsuit challenging the 2023 guest worker wage rule.
The outcome vacates the rule nationwide, eliminating costly and unrealistic wage classifications that have severely burdened farm operators across the country.
Read MoreThe last factory in California that turns sugar beets into sugar is shutting down after 78 years, according to the company that owns the factory. The closure means the elimination of hundreds of local jobs and possibly the end of sugar beet farming in the state.
The Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative last month started the process of decommissioning its processing plant in Brawley in the Imperial Valley, which it operates under its subsidiary Spreckles Sugar Co.
Read MoreIt’s planting season for sugarcane farmers in Louisiana as they replenish fields that are older than three years and no longer yielding as much sugar.
When President Donald Trump said he wanted Coca-Cola to use sugarcane in its signature drink, instead of high-fructose corn syrup, it brought a lot of attention to the industry.
Read MoreAccording to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, as of last Sunday all of the Louisiana soybean crop was blooming, which is also the five year average for this time of year. 94-percent was setting pods, same for the five year average. That crop was rated 8 percent fair, 90 percent good and two percent excellent.
Read MoreAn LSU AgCenter field day held at a commercial sugarcane farm in Erath focused on climate-smart agriculture solutions that any farmer can implement.
Attendees were transported from the venue location to the field in air-conditioned, yellow school buses — a welcome getaway from the summer heat.
Read MoreYellow leaf disease was first reported in the Louisiana sugar industry in the late 1990s. It is caused by the sugarcane yellow leaf virus, which is transmitted by the sugarcane aphid (Melanaphis sacchari). Since then, the incidence of yellow leaf disease has remained low, primarily because of Louisiana’s healthy seedcane program.
Read MoreLSU AgCenter scientists showcased conservation practices in sugarcane farming at a field day July 22.
The event was held at Keith Dugas’ farm in Assumption Parish, which is a model farm in an AgCenter best management practices program funded by a Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Project.
Read MoreCoca-Cola's decision to launch a new Coke product this fall made with U.S.-grown cane sugar is already sweetening the stakes for Louisiana.
Read MoreLouisiana’s sugarcane growers made their mark in more ways than one at this year’s Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Convention in New Orleans. From important conversations on federal food policy to field-level conservation breakthroughs and a strong showing at the annual awards banquet, it was a week that reminded everyone just how vital sugarcane is to the state’s agricultural community.
Read MoreBright and early, farmers from across Acadiana convened for the annual Sugarcane Field Day, hosted by the LSU AgCenter. They focused on innovative farming practices aimed at environmental sustainability.
Read MoreA major move from one of the world’s most iconic brands could mean big business for Louisiana’s sugarcane industry.
Coca-Cola recently announced a return to cane sugar in some of its product lines—a shift away from high-fructose corn syrup that has farmers across Louisiana buzzing with optimism.
Read MoreA pilot is dead after a helicopter crash near Thibodaux Wednesday morning.
According to Lafourche Parish officials, the crash happened about a mile from LA-308 near Laurel Valley Road.
Read MoreCoca-Cola announced today it will release a new version of its classic soda sweetened with U.S. sugar, which could benefit Louisiana’s sugarcane industry. Louisiana ranks second in the country in sugar cane produced, nearly 14 million tons of sugarcane each year. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain is excited about the news.”
Read MoreThis year’s annual field day at the LSU AgCenter Sugar Research Station featured a stop that highlighted several conservation practices.
Kenneth Gravois, AgCenter sugarcane specialist, joined Brenda Tubaña, AgCenter soil scientist, and Bruno Nicchio, AgCenter postdoctoral researcher, to explain how sugarcane farmers can benefit from implementing these practices. The July 16 event drew a record-breaking audience of more than 300 people.
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