Louisiana, the state that produced the largest amount of sugar in the United States last season, kicked off the harvest of the new crop expecting losses as drier-than-normal weather in the second half of this year hurt sugarcane development.
The Alma Mill in Lakeland, southeastern Louisiana, started operations Wednesday, and other mills in the state are expected to follow through next week, said Kenneth Gravois, sugarcane specialist at the Louisiana State University.
Read MoreIf you’re in the mood for a sweet time, then the 80th annual Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival is the place to be this weekend.
Avery Hebert, who was named the 79th Louisiana Queen Sugar, is from Erath, Louisiana, but says she is deeply rooted in the tradition.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) today announced sugar loan rates for crop year 2023 (fiscal year 2024).
USDA offers commodity loans to processors of sugar beets and domestically grown sugarcane to provide interim financing to producers so that sugar can be stored after harvest when market prices are typically low and then sold later when price conditions are more favorable.
Read MoreIn a national survey of 2,000 registered voters, Morning Consult found strong support for the U.S. sugar industry and recognition that it is an important part of the American economy and food security. An overwhelming majority, 94% of surveyed voters, recognize the vital role farmers play in the economy, and 86% of surveyed voters support sugar policy in the Farm Bill.
Read MoreA bridge closure in Plaquemine could spell trouble for truck drivers that haul sugar cane.
Work to repair the LA 1 Southbound bridge was supposed to be complete by the end of September, before the sugar cane harvest season began. Now, DOTD has extended that deadline to October 20th.
Read MoreDomingues Farms has come a long, long way from the days of “Brodie and Mitchell.”
Reista Domingues used to hitch up mules so they could do the heavy lifting, er, heavy pulling, soon after his sugar cane farm was established in 1919.
Read MoreU.S. sugar output in the new season starting in October will be less than previously projected due to a widespread drought in Louisiana, the No. 1 producing state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Tuesday.
The USDA slashed its projection for Louisiana in 2023/24 by 18% to only 1.68 million short tons (ST).
Read MoreLouisiana’s sugar cane farmers and millers found it hard to take George Will’s “Sugar protectionism may sour holidays” column seriously.
Will invokes a scary image of candy rationing for American trick-or-treaters and Christmas angels. In Will’s world, candy makers believe the Grinch is hardworking sugar cane farmers and Congressional members who have steadfastly kept the Farm Bill safety net strong for United States agricultural production.
Read MoreHugh Andre can’t get enough of the smell of the dirt.
As a first generation farmer, Andre loves what he does. And he does it each and every day he can.
Andre is from Iberia parish. He went to school at Catholic High and began farming in 1998 where he started with 75 acres of land and built it to 8,000 acres that is today.
Read MoreAs the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival enters its 80th year of entertaining Teche Area residents, organizers are trying to consolidate the festival more into downtown New Iberia.
For Louisiana Sugar Cane Association President Lisa Norris, the effort is an attempt to bring the festival back to its roots. For years the festival has been spread out in various parts of the parish and bringing more events to the Main Street area.
Read MoreEddie Lewis III pulls up to his Youngsville farm in a large black Ford pickup truck, handing out gallon containers of water to his workers preparing land to plant the 2024 sugar cane crop. He’s surrounded by sugar cane, and because of a prolonged drought in Louisiana, the typically fully green stalks are beginning to yellow, a dying process that isn't supposed to happen until December.
Read MoreThe American Sugarcane League is helping students in Iberia Parish tour and explore Louisiana's culture at The Bayou Teche Museum.
Read MoreIt has been a hard year of extreme heat and drought for sugar cane farmers, which has affected crops and harvests.
"To say a field of sugarcane will not be harvested because of height has hardly ever been heard of even in drought years in the back. You have a loss but the fields were harvested, it's so bad right now," says Jim Domingues.
Read MoreJames “Jim” Simon of New Iberia was honored as the recipient of the Kermit Coulon Sr. Outstanding Service Award at the 62nd St. James Appreciation Supper held in Vacherie at the Westbank Reception Hall July 27.
Read MoreWhen you think about harvesting crops in Louisiana, you think about things like corn, sugarcane, and soybeans. And with the record-breaking summer heat, each of these crops are having a tougher time growing than in years past.
As the chairman of the Louisiana Beef Industry, John Thompson says he’s never seen his farmland as dry as it is in his 66 years. According to the Dept. of Agriculture and Forestry, the amount of money we’ve lost in the cattle industry is between $160 -- 260 million.
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