Area farmers say the recent rainfall in northeastern Louisiana has damaged crops so badly that many will not be able to recover financially if the U.S. Department of Agriculture does not step in.
Weeks of frequent rainfall in August and September have wrecked local crops and crop insurance likely will not cover the damage, according to Scott Franklin, a commercial rice dryer in Rayville.
Read MoreGreenfield Louisiana, in partnership with construction contractor Weitz, is encouraging local community members to register for a regional vendor summit by Sept. 30. The event will take place in October and details will be give to those who sign up.
Read MoreThe Port of Greater Baton Rouge has received a barge-mounted crane that will make it easier to unload grain despite the level of the Mississippi River.
The $7 million pedestal crane will unload grain directly from barges into Louis Dreyfus Company's elevator. Because the crane has the flexibility to unload barges at times of high or low river levels, this will benefit local farmers, said Jay Hardman, the port's executive director.
Read MoreIt is an understatement to say soybean farmers have had a challenging year in 2022. In April, farmers had to plant around several rain events. Despite the several April showers, 59% of the soybean fields in LA were planted by May 1 compared to the five-year average of 43% and 23% from last year.
Read MoreMany farmers in Louisiana and Mississippi are assessing the damage following heavy rains late last month, and Governor Edwards of Louisiana has even forwarded a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack asking for help for farmers.
Read MoreThis month’s 2022/23 U.S. corn outlook is for lower supplies, smaller feed and residual use, reduced exports and corn used for ethanol, and tighter ending stocks. Beginning stocks for 2022/23 are projected 5 million bushels lower based on essentially offsetting export and corn used for ethanol changes for 2021/22.
Read MoreThe weather in the past months has really taken a toll on the crops at some Louisiana farms. Frogmore Farms is one of many that has lost harvest due to weather conditions.
John Branton, the managing partner and operator for Frogmore Farms, said, “As soon as the heat broke, we ended up getting a rain, which we thought was a blessing, but turned out to be 22 days of rain in August, and we got 12 inches at the end of the crop cycle. So what happened was that the crops simply rotted.”
Read MoreLast winter, Tensas Parish farmer Will Ratliffe was optimistic about this year's harvest. Commodity prices were up, and his 3,500 acres of soybeans, cotton and corn appeared set for a banner year.
But soon after, prices for fertilizer, fuel and other supplies climbed to unprecedented levels.
Read MoreDewey Donnell has spent a lifetime farming in northeastern Louisiana. Like most farmers in the region, he’s navigated his fair share of hurricanes, floods and other weather extremes. But he’s never seen an August like 2022.
“We had at least 10 days of straight rain beginning that third week of August,” Donnell recalled. “I’ve seen it come a lot of rain, but outside of a hurricane, I’ve never seen it rain like this at this time of year.”
Read MoreThe monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, released Monday by USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist, decreased corn supply for the start of the new marketing year, largely driven by a drop in production from a reduction in national average yield and area harvested.
Read MoreLouisiana corn for grain production is forecast at 71.8 million bushels, down 15 percent from the August 1 forecast and down 31 percent from 2021. Based on conditions as of September 1, yield is expected to average 165 bushels per acre, down 10 bushels from last month and down 18 bushels from last year.
Read MoreHit by inflation, farmers around the country have dealt with unprecedented input prices this year, and inclement weather has taken a toll on their yields.
Farmers in Louisiana have also dealt with inflated prices of everything from fuel to fertilizer, and unfavorable weather conditions mean smaller yields, shrinking their margins even smaller.
Read MoreFor the first time in 46 years, the Old River locks are being drained so they can be repaired.
“The only way for us to get our crops on the market is through the river,” Curt Engemann said.
Read MoreNortheast Louisiana farmers are concerned about having food to harvest after rainfall swept through the region, specifically soybeans.
Concordia Parish plants more acres of soybeans than anywhere in the state of Louisiana, according to ANR Agent Kylie Miller of the LSU Ag Center. The damage to soybeans will significantly affect the parish and state economies.
Read MoreThere’s been lots of rain in the forecast across the state and even here in Southwest Louisiana, and while the rain is great for crops, too much rain can be a different story.
“If it keeps doing this, we have some beans that are almost ready to harvest, if rain keeps setting in like it has been, they are just going to deteriorate,” said local farmer David Smith.
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