Those in the crawfish industry in Louisiana and neighboring states who have been affected by last year's severe drought can apply for federal disaster loans to help with financial loss, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced on Thursday.
The federal approval for disaster funds comes after Gov. Jeff Landry issued a disaster declaration at the beginning of the month amid a crawfish storage caused by drought and extreme heat.
Read MoreWhere peak season would typically find crawfish enthusiasts and producers alike elbow deep in the sinus-melting satisfaction of a good boil, Louisiana’s shellfish farmers have instead encountered a serious situation. When traps set during the fall revealed either no crawfish at all or a measly one or two instead of a bounty, hopes for a high-quality season were put on hold.
Read MoreSen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined members of the Louisiana congressional delegation in urging Small Business Association (SBA) Administrator Isabel Guzman to make a disaster declaration so that Louisiana’s crawfish processors, wholesalers, boilers and other related enterprises can receive emergency assistance.
In 2023, Louisiana’s adverse weather hurt the crawfish harvest. The lawmakers gave their support to Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry’s declaration request.
Read MoreCongressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) led members of the Louisiana Congressional Delegation on a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administrator, Isabel Guzman, in support of Governor Jeff Landry’s disaster declaration in response to 2023 drought conditions. The delegation urges the Small Business Administration (SBA) to approve Louisiana’s request and extend the deadline for Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) filing through the end of the crawfish season so that Louisiana businesses can have access to critical financial assistance.
Read MoreNormally, the weeks just before Easter mean peak business for crawfish harvesters, wholesalers and processors, with ample product and high demand. Instead, they’re waiting to see if the federal government will declare a disaster for their industry, which continues to weather the after-effects of last summer’s extended drought and a bad freeze earlier this year.
Losses for the Louisiana crawfish industry are estimated to reach nearly $140 million — more than half the typical annual yield, according to the LSU AgCenter.
Read MoreLouisiana 2nd District Congressman Troy Carter will host 3 workshops for people involved in the crawfish industry affected by the lack of crawfish.
The first workshop is scheduled in New Orleans for Monday, March 18 from 9-11 a.m. at the Southern University at New Orleans College of Business Auditorium.
Read MoreLouisiana’s beleaguered crawfish industry will be getting help in the form of low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman announced Thursday.
The agency will issue low-interest loans for the crawfish industry, including farmers, harvesters, pickers, wholesalers, boilers, retailers, restaurants, grocery stores, equipment suppliers and others impacted by recent weather, said U.S. Rep. Troy Carter said in an interview.
Read MoreAt this time of year, most Louisianans are used to gathering with family and friends to enjoy steaming trays of boiled crawfish. But this year, with the harvest devastated by drought, crawfish are hard to find and costly, putting a damper on our seasonal festivities.
While consumers lament the high prices, the impact on crawfish farmers is downright dire. The fallout from searing temperatures and dry weather in August is being felt in all parts of the state, producing fewer and smaller-than-usual mudbugs this year.
Read MoreAlthough Texas crawfish farmers emerged from a challenging growing season slightly better off than producers in Louisiana, 2024 is shaping up to be a dismal crawfish season for producers and consumers alike, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.
Todd Sink, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension aquaculture specialist and director of the AgriLife Extension Aquatic Diagnostics Lab, Bryan-College Station, said that while both states dealt with severe drought and record-breaking temperatures, Louisiana, the nation’s top crawfish producer, also had to contend with the added impacts of disease and invasive species.
Read MoreOn February 29th, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy introduced the crawfish recovery assistance from weather disasters and droughts act. The CRAWDAD act would support Louisiana's crawfish jobs, providing farmers with federal aid in order to sustain their business during difficult conditions.
The bill would provide emergency livestock aid due to drought, something that is currently not in effect.
Read MoreCongressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) released a statement in support of Governor Jeff Landry’s (R-LA) executive order requesting disaster assistance for the crawfish industry.
“The crawfish industry is a vital part of Louisiana’s economy and culture, and last year’s drought severely impacted the industry. My office is committed to the mission of assisting our crawfish industry and will continue to work at the federal level to secure much-needed assistance. Today’s executive order by Governor Landry will help to unlock additional relief for the entire industry, and I appreciate his efforts in protecting our way of life.”
Read MoreLouisiana Gov. Jeff Landry issued a disaster declaration Wednesday for the state's crawfish industry after last year's severe drought devastated this year's harvest, which should be at its peak during Lent and Easter.
""It's the worst season in my history, and I've been farming crawfish for 30 years," Acadiana farmer Richard Fontenot said in interview with USA Today Network. "We're 80% behind where we usually are."
Read MoreSen. John Kennedy (R-La), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, introduced the Crawfish Recovery Assistance from Weather Disasters and Droughts (CRAWDAD) Act. The bill would support Louisiana’s crawfish jobs as droughts and severe weather have put strain on the industry.
“Louisiana’s crawfish farmers have worked hard to weather a bad freeze and devastating drought. My CRAWDAD Act would give mudbug farmers the help they need to keep delivering quality Louisiana fare to crawfish lovers everywhere,” said Kennedy.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) urges the federal government to aid Louisiana’s crawfish industry after an unprecedented drought.
On February 2, LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain, DVM, wrote a letter to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack asking that the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP) and/or similar programs be properly funded and instituted to assist the crawfish industry.
Read MoreU.S. Congressmen Garret Graves (Louisiana) and Troy Carter (Louisiana) led a formal request asking that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provide Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP) funding to drought-affected crawfish producers in Louisiana. Congress has already granted the USDA discretion to provide assistance to farmers affected by severe weather through the ELAP statute; the bipartisan letter asks that the Secretary use it now to provide relief to Louisiana farmers who suffered significant crawfish crop losses due to extreme heat and drought in 2023.
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