Entergy Louisiana’s proposed Cypress Harvest Solar project is drawing opposition from residents who say converting productive sugarcane fields along Highway 75 into a solar farm is inefficient and harmful to local agriculture.
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Sugarcane growers learned about a fertilizer management tool designed to improve efficiency and reduce input costs during a field day July 22 at the LSU AgCenter Iberia Research Station.
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Louisiana's sweetest crop is under attack from an Australian native insect that arrived in the United States last year.
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Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Secretary-Treasurer Mike Melancon was recognized Saturday evening as one of Sugar Journal’s 2026 Sugar Notables, an international honor celebrating individuals whose careers have made lasting contributions to the global sugar industry.
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The predictions of a harvest increase over last year’s were undercut by the news of the arrival of a worrisome, invasive insect at the LSU AgCenter’s annual Sugar Research Station field day July 15.
At the outset of the day, AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Services is indicating a 5,000-to-6,000-acre increase over last year’s crop, with a clearer focus coming into view in August.
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Louisiana sugarcane producers celebrated a record year in 2025, but a year of home runs was inevitably followed by one of Mother Nature’s curveballs — in this case, a never-before-seen invasive pest that not only turns plants and saps sugar productivity but also infects plant tissue with a virus that could change its genetic makeup.
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Sugarcane varieties are the lifeblood of the Louisiana sugar industry. As a result, variety selection is one of the most important decisions a producer makes — one with long-term implications. The goal is to maximize profitability on every acre throughout an extended crop cycle.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) is improving the sugarcane crop insurance program for Louisiana sugarcane farmers.
These improvements include separating irrigated and non-irrigated practices in parishes with a history of irrigation to recognize the different risks to sugarcane under both production practices.
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Sugarcane field days have long been a summer tradition across Louisiana’s cane belt, providing growers an opportunity to see research firsthand and hear directly from scientists, extension specialists and fellow farmers.
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USDA’s much-anticipated Acreage Report was released on June 30th. Corn acreage stayed large, but lower-than-expected corn and wheat stocks gave traders enough demand support to trigger relief buying and short-covering after a sharp June selloff.
Grain markets treated the Acreage and Grain Stocks reports as less bearish than the headline corn acreage number first suggested. USDA pegged corn planted area at 95.343 million acres, above the average pre-report trade estimate near 94.99 million acres, with harvested area for grain forecast at 87.434 million acres.
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After spring planting is complete, agricultural producers in Louisiana should make an appointment with their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) parish office to complete crop acreage reports before the applicable deadline.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Tuesday announced that it does not expect to purchase and sell sugar under the Feedstock Flexibility Program for crop year 2025, which runs from Oct. 1, 2025, to Sept. 30, 2026.
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Sugar Journal is happy to announce the 2026 Sugar Notables – the 5th year to celebrate the careers of several sugar technologists in the global sugar industry.
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A mid-June tropical disturbance (remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur), combined with a stalled frontal system, produced record-breaking rainfall and significant flooding across south-central Louisiana. The highest rainfall totals were recorded in Avoyelles, St. Landry, and northwestern Pointe Coupee parishes.
Sugarcane is a key component of the diverse cropping systems in these affected areas.
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One of the most common observations during the early growing season is uneven crop growth within the same field. While some areas emerge quickly and develop vigorous canopies, others appear delayed or less uniform. These differences can be frustrating for producers, especially when planting conditions seemed favorable and management practices were applied uniformly across the field.
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