In the fall, tall, bright green sugarcane stalks reach up to meet deep blue skies along Bayou Lafourche.
It's harvest season on the Naquin family farm.
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Iberville continues to play a key role in production of sugarcane, one of the crops most closely associated with the rich history of Louisiana agriculture.
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“Sweeten Your Day” is a segment hosted by LSU AgCenter area sugarcane agent Renee Naquin and Katie Richard, an agronomist with the American Sugar Cane League. The program will highlight issues related to Louisiana’s sugarcane industry, and it will also focus on individuals and families who are involved in growing, transporting, milling and producing products using Louisiana sugar in a feature called the “Sugarcane Spotlight.
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At Gonsoulin Farms in Iberia Parish, it’s business as usual this harvest season. With about a quarter of their crop already processed, owner and operator Ricky Gonsoulin says things are looking strong so far.
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The full magnitude of LCP 85-384’s impact can only be understood by first considering its development, which dates back to the late 1950s. A resurgence of the mosaic virus in the Louisiana industry after the release of susceptible variety NCo 310 led breeders to look to the wild species of sugarcane, S. spontaneum, for much-needed resistance.
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If you have been anywhere near a cane field lately, you can feel it. The trucks are on the road before daylight, steam from the mills is back in the air and harvest season is officially underway. After a long summer of waiting, planning and watching the weather, growers and millers have finally started the grinding season. There is a rhythm to this time of year that is familiar to everyone in the agriculture industry.
Read MoreIn the late summer heat, the hours move like molasses.
Still, across the cane fields of South Louisiana, migrant workers from Mexico brave the sun and punishing humidity to plant sugarcane. They come from the mountains of Guanajuato and San Luís Potosí, or the tropical coast of Veracruz, working the fields, often up to 70 hours a week.
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Modern rum was first made in the Caribbean during the 17th century, with the earliest records of production dating back to 1650 in Barbados.
The spirit we know today was created after it was discovered that molasses, a byproduct of sugar production, could be fermented and distilled to create alcohol.
Today, distilleries keep the original production of rum alive by using premium sugar cane and Grade A molasses.
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Coca-Cola is slowly selling its classic drink made with cane sugar as opposed to corn syrup.
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Driving along the River Road, you can't help but notice how lush and fertile everything looks. There's a reason for that – the Mississippi River has been flooding these banks for thousands of years, each time leaving behind another layer of nutrient-rich sediment. It's like the river has been preparing the perfect recipe for agriculture, depositing silt, minerals, and organic matter to create some of the most productive soil in North America.
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The sugarcane harvest season has begun, and the crop plays a big role in Louisiana’s economy.
“So far, we’re looking at great conditions. It’s a little bit dry, and the cane is dehydrated. Yields are down a little bit more than what we expected, but the sugar levels are reall,y really good,” sugarcane farmer Chad Hanks said.
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Sugarcane farming in New Iberia is embracing new technology, including drones, to improve efficiency and profitability, according to veteran farmer Ricky Gonsoulin.
Ricky Gonsoulin, who has been farming sugarcane for 39 years, highlighted the industry’s evolution through the adoption of new technologies each harvest. This year, a large drone was used to drop holy water on the sugarcane crops as part of a blessing ceremony.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) today announced sugar loan rates for crop year 2025 (fiscal year 2026). The rates, which were raised in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Donald J. Trump on July 4, 2025, reflect the first meaningful increase to sugar loan rates in 40 years. CCC also announced no actions taken under the Feedstock Flexibility Program.
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The Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival is bringing excitement and tradition back to New Iberia with its annual celebration. This beloved event, honoring sugar as a key local commodity, promises a variety of activities for attendees.
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The sugarcane crop development in Louisiana shows improving crop ratings for this time of year. The percentage of the Louisiana sugarcane crop that is rated good or excellent was falling closer to the bottom of the five-year range but has rebounded quickly over the past several weeks (Figure 6). However, summer is the critical period for both crops in terms of putting on sugar content.
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