Louisiana farmers grow many of the annual staple crops found across the United States, including corn, soybean, cotton and grain sorghum. However, Louisiana’s No. 1 valued row crop is sugarcane, a perennial that is only grown in two other states, Florida and Texas. Sugarcane was grown on 500,000 acres in 2020, adding more than $3 billion to the state’s economy.
Read MoreDue to the COVID - 19 virus, the 2021 Mid South Agricultural Labor Seminar will be conducted this year as a Zoom Virtual Seminar on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. There is no registration fee to attend. This year, with new employer responsibilities due to the COVID virus, this year’s topics will focus on important current issues such as COVID pay, OSHA Regulations and Reporting Requirements and Housing.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction inducted three new members during a ceremony March 4 at the L’Auberge Hotel in Baton Rouge.
The new inductees are former Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation President Ronnie Anderson, of Ethel; sugarcane farmer John Gay, of Plaquemine; and Paul “Jackie” Loewer, of Branch, a rice farmer who has been a strong advocate for the rice industry in state and national organizations.
Read MoreFrom September 2020 through January 2021, folks in Louisiana’s sugarcane belt watched what seemed to be an endless parade of cane trucks hauling sugarcane to the mills.
Ultimately, the trucks delivered 16.5 million tons of bulk cane to the state’s 11 sugar mills. That’s a big number, and while farmers are millers are very happy with the tonnage, it’s difficult for the average person to understand exactly what 16.5 million tons of sugarcane means.
Read MoreJack Roney, who has served the American sugar industry for nearly 30 years, is set to retire from his position as the director of economics and policy analysis for the American Sugar Association (ASA). He has become a friend to the leadership of the American Sugar Cane League as well as the rank and file members.
Read MoreAs the 2021 crop production season begins, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact approximately 1,100 Louisiana producers to determine their plans for the upcoming growing season.
Read MoreAfter nearly a week of freezing temperatures, farmers in Mississippi and Louisiana have suffered big losses in livestock and crops, and some of the worst damage won't be known for weeks.
"We just don't know how bad this freeze could have affected the crawfish, the strawberries and the sugarcane industries," said Jim Harper, president of the Louisiana Farmer Bureau Federation. "We could be talking in the millions of dollars, though, statewide."
Read MoreMore than 60 hours of subfreezing temperatures, including lows in the mid- to lower teens in the northern region of the Louisiana sugarcane belt, has many growers concerned about the effects it will have on next year’s crop
Read MoreAmerica’s sugar producers are constantly working to develop new technologies to further our mission to produce sugar, sustainably. These advances in technology not only help protect the environment, they also help sugar growers increase efficiencies and stay profitable.
Read MoreLSU AgCenter researchers shared their latest findings during an online continuing education program for the Louisiana Agricultural Consultants Association Feb. 10 to 11.
Read MoreAfter four months of grinding, it appears the 2020-2021 sugar cane crop will set a record.
“We’re going to produce almost 2 million tons of sugar. That’s a record for Louisiana,” said Kenneth Gravois, LSU AgCenter sugar cane specialist.
Three fixtures in Louisiana agriculture will be inducted into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction during a ceremony at L’Auberge Hotel in Baton Rouge on March 4.
The new inductees are former Louisiana Farm Bureau President Ronnie Anderson, of Ethel; sugarcane farmer John Gay, of Plaquemine; and Paul “Jackie” Loewer, of Branch, a rice farmer who has been a strong advocate for the rice industry in state and national organizations.
Read MoreAfter completing a successful harvest, sugarcane farmers in the Bayou Teche area met online Feb. 9 with LSU AgCenter experts to find out what they should be doing to prepare for next year’s crop.
Kenneth Gravois, LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist, said clipping, followed by burning the residue could impair growth, especially with the possibility of a freeze in the next few days.
Read MoreLouisiana pesticide applicator recertification looks a little different than in years past. Beginning in the late summer of 2020 the LSU AgCenter worked with Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) to provide different options for commercial pesticide applicators to become recertified to meet state and federal requirements.
Read MoreIt’s known as the Louisiana Sugar Cane Cooperative Sugar Mill, and in the 2019 harvest season, the facility took in year over 1.4 million tons of sugar cane.
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