Local restaurants are starting to offer crawfish on their menus, but the prices are far steeper than customers are used to paying with prices often upwards of $6-7/pound, if not more. 

The reason for the hike is because of the weather that we have endured in Louisiana throughout the past several months.

Louisiana is typically known for its tropical climate but in recent years, scorching heat and little to no rain has affected more than just crops.

“This year is going to be a real challenge because the crawfish just won’t be there,” said Crawfish Haven/Mrs. Roses Bed & Breakfast Owner Barry Toups.

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.

Congressman 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.

In 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.  

North 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.