There were 86.7 million head of cattle and calves on U.S. farms as of Jan. 1, 2025, according to the Cattle report published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
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The effects of last week’s freeze are still being felt across the Lake Area, especially in the farming industry.
Many farms reported several inches of snow.
“To see the entire thing covered in white snow, and the trees, it was just a sight I thought I’d never seen here in South Louisiana,” Driftwood Farm Owner Hilery Gobert said.
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The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Livestock Brand Commission will host its next saddle microchipping event on Friday, January 31, from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. It will be held at the Louisiana Equine Sales and Event Center located at 372 Harry Guilbeau Road, Opelousas.
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Small farmers from throughout the state will gather at the Maurice A. Edmond Livestock Arena from February 27 – March 1, 2025, to compete for an opportunity to be named grand champion during the Southern University Ag Center’s 82nd Annual State Livestock and Poultry Show.
Several events have been planned leading up to the Annual Show. These events include the Boots and Bling Affair, a Livestock Give Day, and an Educational Expo for local students.
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Mississippi authorities captured a man wanted in multiple states after he allegedly bought livestock and agricultural equipment with fraudulent checks.
Law enforcement captured Johnny Payne II of Louisiana on Jan. 11 in Rankin County, the Mississippi Agriculture and Livestock Theft Bureau (MALTB) announced on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
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The National Weather Service in Shreveport can honestly say they told us this was coming, and conditions around here have lived up to their predictions. We're talking Arctic-ish.
Due to this extreme cold front's arrival, the NWS has issued another "Cold Weather Advisory" which will remain in effect until 9:00 am this morning. They warn us to expect wind chill values as low as 12 degrees.
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USDA recently announced that a final Federal Milk Marketing Order decision was approved by dairy farmers and cooperatives across all 11 orders through separate referenda conducted within each order. AFBF has called for changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Orders dating back to 2019.
“We’re grateful that USDA listened to not only our calls but also calls from the broader dairy industry to switch back to the ‘higher of’ Class I milk formula, increase Class I differentials, improve cheese price discovery and update milk composition factors,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall.
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Ouachita Parish 4-H held a livestock show on Sunday, Jan. 13, at the Ike Hamilton Center in West Monroe.
The event featured many animals and was an opportunity to showcase youth involvement in agriculture.
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American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the final USDA poultry tournament rule under the Packers & Stockyards Act.
“Farm Bureau appreciates USDA’s commitment to bringing greater fairness to farmers who raise poultry under the tournament system.”
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Cenla students will soon get the chance to showcase their hard work and talents at the upcoming 4H Livestock Show.
Jessie McDowell, a market lamb exhibitor from Deville, has been showing her animals in 4H for eight years.
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The year 2024 is history! What will the year 2025 bring? No one knows, but we all have opinions, answers and questions. Let’s look back at the year 2024 to gain some perspective. Looking at the cattle industry we notice one theme, “Record Breaking”. Yes, the industry has broken many records.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers, including dairy producers impacted by H5N1, that the deadline to apply for financial assistance through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) is Jan. 30, 2025, for losses due to specific adverse conditions that occurred in 2024.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that 15 additional states have enrolled in the National Milk Testing Strategy, bringing the total number of states to 28 in roughly one month since the program launched. These 28 states represent nearly 65% of the nation’s milk production. In addition, USDA is sharing updates on its expedited work to support vaccine development for use in poultry and bovine species, as part of a multi-faceted effort to fight the spread of H5N1.
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The Southwest Louisiana resident who had the nation’s first severe case of bird flu has died, health officials announced Monday.
This is the first human death related to bird flu in the country.
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On December 13, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) announced the detection of the first presumptive positive human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or H5N1, in Louisiana. Following a report of increased mortality in the non-commercial backyard flock (non-poultry) on the property in southwest Louisiana, testing by Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (LADDL) has detected highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the flock.
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