Crawfish aquaculture is the most profitable aquaculture endeavor in Louisiana, representing roughly 69% of the total gross farm value generated across all commercial aquaculture enterprises in 2022, according to the Louisiana Summary Agriculture and Natural Resources 2022. Crawfish producers in south Louisiana create a suitable wetland habitat for crawfish to survive, reproduce and grow to harvest size in shallow water impoundments used for both crawfish and rice.
Read MoreIn south Louisiana, Paul Johnson was amidst rice harvest of his ratoon crop, and yields were stronger than expected. “I am pleased with what we are seeing so far. They are not the yields we had last year, but I think last year was an anomaly. I don’t think we will ever see that again,” Johnson said. “The second crop yields are strong.”
Read MoreThe 87th Annual International Rice Festival (IRF) took place this past weekend, bringing together an estimated 100,000 attendees to celebrate the state's deeply rooted connection to rice under the theme “Rice: a Louisiana Cuisine.”
The festival is Louisiana’s longest-running free agricultural event, as well as one of its largest; Festival President Joshua Spell, a Crowley native and executive chef at the popular local eatery Fezzo’s, emphasized the importance of keeping the festival free for the community.
Read MoreWhen I was young, broke and first started doing my grocery shopping, I fell in love with rice.
It was cheap. It tasted good. It went with almost anything — and I could cook it 100 different ways.
I still love rice, which is why I was excited to visit Crowley to see rice in its natural habitat.
Read MoreU.S. merchants shipped 1,125 metric tons of rice to Cuba in 2023. Considering that Cuba imports around 600,000 to 700,000 metric tons of rice per year, that may not seem like much of an accomplishment.
But it’s a 500% increase from the total of U.S. rice shipped to Cuba in 2022.
Read MoreThe 2024/25 U.S. corn outlook calls for smaller supplies, larger exports, and reduced ending stocks. Projected beginning stocks for 2024/25 are 52 million bushels lower based on the Grain Stocks report. Corn production is forecast at 15.2 billion bushels, up 17 million from last month on a 0.2-bushel increase in yield to 183.8 bushels per acre. Harvested area for grain is unchanged at 82.7 million acres. Total use is raised slightly to 15.0 billion bushels reflecting greater exports.
Read MoreLouisiana corn for grain production is forecast at 84.1 million bushels, down 1 percent from September 1 forecast and down 29 percent from 2023. Based on conditions as of October 1, yield is expected to average 189 bushels per acre, down 2 bushels from last month but up 14 bushels from last year. Harvested acreage for grain is estimated at 445,000 acres, down 235,000 acres from 2023.
Read MoreThe clock is ticking for the annual National Rice Month (NRM) Scholarship video contest! The deadline for entries is Tuesday, October 15.
Less than two weeks away but more than enough time for eligible students, graduating high school seniors from Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, or Texas, to create a short video – three minutes or less – that educates, entertains, and tells why rice is special to you, to your state, or to the world.
Read MoreThe heart of Cajun Country in Louisiana’s southwest prairie region is bracing for an influx of visitors for a unique agritourism event.
The 16th annual Yellow Rails and Rice Festival has birders from 30 states and Washington, D.C., flocking to Thornwell for a three-day event beginning Oct. 30.
Read MoreThe future of American farming is at a critical crossroads as a key piece of legislation, the 2018 Farm Bill, expired on September 30, 2024, leaving farmers across the country anxious about their financial survival.
Allen McLain, a second-generation rice farmer in Vermilion Parish, said the current farm bill—originally passed six years ago—is no longer adequate to address the economic challenges facing today’s farmers.
Read MoreThis past week, the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter held a Model Farm Rice Field Day as part of the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation Grant, designed to provide up-to-date information on rice production and how it relates to conservation, sustainability, and best management practices (BMP). The gathering took place at Richard Farms, north of Kaplan.
Julie and Christian Richard’s farm is a familiar site for field days in southwest Louisiana, as they host several events throughout the year, opening their operation whenever asked to welcome guests from both the rice industry and those outside the agriculture world.
Read MoreThe clock is ticking for the annual National Rice Month (NRM) Scholarship video contest! The deadline for entries is Tuesday, October 15.
Less than two weeks away but more than enough time for eligible students, graduating high school seniors from Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, or Texas, to create a short video – three minutes or less – that educates, entertains, and tells why rice is special to you, to your state, or to the world.
Read MoreLouisiana all wheat stored in off farm storage facilities on September 1, 2024 totaled 6.92 million bushels, up 28 percent from a year ago. United States all wheat stored in all positions on September 1, 2024 totaled 1.99 billion bushels, up 12 percent from a year ago. On farm stocks are estimated at 664 million bushels, up 11 percent from last September. Off farm stocks, at 1.32 billion bushels, are up 13 percent from a year ago.
Read MoreComfortable early fall temperatures provided an ideal backdrop for a field day held Sept. 26 at Richard Farms in Kaplan, where attendees got a firsthand look at LSU AgCenter research projects focused on conservation practices.
Richard Farms, a rice and crawfish operation, is one of the model farms where AgCenter scientists are conducting research as part of a grant from the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation.
Read MoreSeptember National Rice Month is always a whirlwind of activity in Louisiana! There are so many celebrations, cooking contests, and charitable food donations during NRM that they don't all fit. Stay tuned for the 87th International Rice Festival in Crowley, Louisiana, October 17-20.
The Cal Cam Rice Growers Association and the Port of Lake Charles partnered again this year for their annual cooking contest where students from several southwest Louisiana parishes compete with their rice dishes for prizes and tour the Port of Lake Charles during the judging session.
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