The current projections for the 2024 crawfish season in Louisiana have been troubling for farmers and consumers alike as limited supply are expected to make prices soar on historic levels.
Some early prices for crawfish are already steep. James Karst sent Fox 8 a photo of a menu from Houma restaurant that offered a 10 lbs. crawfish special with one pound of potatoes for $139.99.
Read MoreCongressman Clay Higgins sent a letter to the United States Department of Agriculture requesting relief for Louisiana’s crawfish industry amid devasting losses from the drought in 2023 and the recent freeze.
In the letter sent on Wednesday, Higgins asked the USDA to revise the criteria for an eligible cause of loss to include drought under the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program.
Read MoreLouisiana's ongoing exceptional drought is making the Bayou state's staple of boiled crawfish unaffordable for many.
Louisiana is amid its worst drought since 2000, with more than 70% of the Bayou State in exceptional drought, the worst rating on the 5-level U.S. Drought Monitor scale. Many of the crawfish farmers' crops from last spring didn't survive without rain.
Read MoreCrawfish season is here, yet some popular places like Louisiana – the largest crawfish producer in the country – are without the delicacy as restaurants and seafood suppliers are struggling to get their hands on it.
Trudy Alexander, the owner of Kenner Seafood, said she has been shipping crawfish around the United States for nearly three decades.
Read MoreIn the latest episode of Bottom Line, Business Report traveled to one of the sources of Louisiana’s beloved crawfish: Four Oaks Farms in Morganza. The farm sits on over 1,500 acres of land. There, they harvest sugarcane, soybeans and crawfish.
Co-Owner Matt Frey starts selling his yield a little later in the year than most crawfish farms, and times harvesting with the rice growing season.
Read MoreNorth Louisiana has seen over nine inches of rain over the past several days, and more is expected into Friday night. But despite the deluge Louisiana has received, it won't be enough to be able to salvage this year's crawfish season.
Crawfish expert Mark Shirley, from the LSU AgCenter said, unfortunately, we won't see any substantial benefit from the recent rains. Shirley said the rains will help to flush the ponds, but won't increase the crawfish harvest.
Read MoreDespite several inches of rainfall in Louisiana over the last several days, an LSU crawfish expert says Louisianans will not see a boost in what’s expected to be a dismal crawfish season.
LSU AgCenter Crawfish Specialist Mark Shirley says the rain will help flush ponds, but will not increase crawfish harvest.
Read MoreLouisiana’s crawfish harvest is expected to hit a historic low in 2024.
Crawfish specialists in Louisiana are attributing the conditions to adverse weather conditions, including drought.
Read MoreLouisiana’s crawfish harvest is expected to hit a historic low in 2024, attributed to adverse weather conditions including drought.
The scarcity of the harvest is anticipated to drive prices up.
Read MoreWe’ve already learned that the 2024 crawfish season is going to be one of the worst ever in terms of supply and prices due to the severe drought. And now LSU Agent Crawfish Specialist Mark Shirley warns the outlook for next year isn’t promising either.
Read MoreCrawfish lovers may be paying high prices this season, if they can even find the delicacy at all.
Scarcity is being blamed on drought and other weather impacts, causing many seafood suppliers and restaurants to announce delays.
Read MoreBetween the summer drought and now this brutal cold spot, crawfish farmers say they’re having trouble filling their traps.
Many people are wondering, when and if the price will go down.
Read MoreIt’s Carnival season, and usually, Mardi Gras and crawfish season go hand in hand. But this year, we’re seeing a big shortage of Louisiana’s favorite boiled shellfish.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Shrimp Association (LSA), represented by lawyers from the Pelican Institute’s Center for Justice, has filed a lawsuit against the Biden Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service for their rule requiring skimmer trawl vessels to use Turtle Excluder Devices in Louisiana's inshore waters. The complaint, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, challenges the rule on the grounds that it violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the Dormant Commerce Clause and the Major Questions Doctrine.
Read MoreLast year’s drought and this week’s below-freezing temperatures could affect the number of crawfish available for harvest this season, when crawfish can be harvested, how long they’ll be available, as well as the size of each crawfish and the price per pound.
But two Beauregard Parish crawfish farmers cautioned consumers to hold on just a minute before being discouraged by price forecasting. One farmer with 30 years experience said it’s too early to predict price or anything else. Give it another month.
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