Coca-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.
Read MoreFarmer Clint Judice represents the seventh generation of his family to farm sugarcane in the heart of southern Louisiana. Challenging soils and proximity to the coast, along with this year’s blizzard bringing 10 inches of snow, make producing nature’s sweetest crop a challenge.
St. Mary Parish, where Judice farms around 4,000 acres of sugarcane, is one of Louisiana’s top sugar-producing parishes. In January, it also was home to the county’s southernmost blizzard warning.
Read MoreThe original Section 18 crisis exemption for Sivanto Prime in sugarcane for aphids/West Indian Cane Fly was set to expire July 18th. However shortly after, LDAF office of Pesticide Programs filed for a specific exemption to extend the use beyond July 18th.
Read MoreAn announcement from President Donald Trump has sparked excitement among sugarcane farmers and processors in South Louisiana. Coca-Cola is reportedly considering a switch from high fructose corn syrup to real cane sugar in its US-manufactured beverages.
President Trump stated that the Atlanta-based Coca-Cola, which has a facility in Lafayette, has agreed to this change. The potential shift is creating a buzz in the local sugar industry, as it could boost demand for cane sugar.
Read MoreSugar cane farmers and agriculture experts from Louisiana say President Donald Trump’s recent announcement that Coca-Cola had agreed to switch from using artificial sweeteners to real cane sugar could be good news for the industry.
Patrick Frischertz is a farmer at St. Louis Planting, a sugar cane and soybean farm in Plaquemine. He is getting everything ready at the farm, which has been operated by the same family for eight generations, for the start of sugar cane planting season.
Read MoreU.S. corn producers are sounding the alarm on President Donald Trump’s efforts to switch Coca-Cola products away from using corn syrup in favor of cane sugar, claiming the change will wreak havoc on the agricultural industry.
Changes in demand for corn syrup, such as that used in Coke, would increase demand for cane sugar in Louisiana and Florida, as well as from Central and South America, where the sweetener is heavily tariffed.
Read MoreThe announcement of a new variety and the arrival of a potentially troublesome weed highlighted the LSU AgCenter’s annual Sugar Research Station field day.
AgCenter breeder Michael Pontif announced a new U.S. Department of Agriculture variety release, HoCP 18-803.
Read MorePresident Donald Trump announced that Coca-Cola has agreed to stop using high fructose corn syrup and start using real cane sugar in their beverages.
According to the American Sugar Cane League, Louisiana is one of America's largest cane sugar producers, 2nd only to Florida.
Read MoreSugarcane varieties are the lifeblood of the Louisiana sugar industry. Therefore, variety selection is one of the most important decisions on the farm — a decision with long-term consequences. The goal is to maximize profitability on every acre of the farm for each year of a long crop cycle.
Sugarcane variety choices for planting in 2025 are many. L 01-299 and HoCP 14-885 will continue to be widely planted by producers across the Louisiana sugar industry. L 15-306 and HoL 15-508, new variety releases from 2022, should occupy a moderate portion of your planting acreage because of excellent stubbling ability and yield potential.
Read MoreFederal food policy changes and a homegrown farming innovation that’s improving water quality in Acadiana highlighted this week’s Sugar Conference at the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation’s 103rd Annual Convention.
The two-hour session drew growers, processors, and policymakers from across the state to hear updates on issues shaping the future of Louisiana’s $4 billion sugarcane industry. While several speakers focused on farm policy and economic conditions, two key topics stood out.
Read MoreIn Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, fifth-generation farmer Eddie Drew Lewis III grows sugarcane with his brothers Jordan and Hunter on over 2,000 acres.
Their farm is a symbol of hard work and family history. From a young age, Eddie’s grandfather taught him one key rule—always have crop insurance.
Read MoreLike many other agricultural sectors, there has been consolidation in United States (US) farm-level sugar production. Sugar is a unique commodity because about 56% of the domestic production of sugar originates from sugarbeets and 44% originates from sugarcane.
The US domestic production of sugar has increased from 8.02 million short tons raw value (STRV) in 1997 to 9.31 million STRV in 2024, an increase of 16%.
Read MoreIn Louisiana, sugarcane isn’t just a crop, it is part of who we are. And this summer, the people who grow it, grind it and study it will come together once again for a tradition that keeps this industry strong: field days.
Hosted by the United States Department of Agriculture, LSU AgCenter, and the American Sugar Cane League, these gatherings give growers a chance to visit research farms, hear the latest updates and talk directly with the scientists working on their behalf. It is where new ideas are shared, old ones are tested and the future of Louisiana sugarcane takes shape.
Read MoreFarm policy is about much more than just the farm – it affects countless jobs from the field to the factory. Sugar is the main engine of economic growth in dozens of communities across the country, and much of the sugar made in America is done so by a union workforce. Supporting a strong U.S. sugar policy means supporting good, American manufacturing jobs.
Read More