Elected Officials Seek Emergency Declaration for Louisiana Farmers
Gov. John Bel Edwards has asked the federal government to issue a disaster declaration for a number of parishes whose farmers were hit hard by extreme weather during the past growing season.
The request, which had been urged by U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, whose district includes many of the hard-hit parishes in the state's northeast, underscores a tumultuous year for the state's farmers.
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Louisiana Crop Production November, 2022
Corn Yield and Production Unchanged from October… Cotton Yield and Production Up from October… Rice Yield and Production Unchanged from October… Soybean Yield and Production Unchanged from October… Sugarcane Yield Down but Production Up from October.
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2022 Farm Service Agency County Committee Elections Open This Week
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) began mailing ballots this week for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county and urban county committee elections to all eligible agricultural producers and private landowners across the country. Elections are occurring in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these committee members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. Producers and landowners must return ballots to their local FSA county office or have their ballots be postmarked by Dec. 5, 2022, in order for those ballots to be counted.
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Ag Census Data Collection Underway
Data collection has officially begun for the 2022 Census of Agriculture. The census is completed by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service every five years to collect information from all American farmers and ranchers.
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FSA Committee Meeting on Disaster Declaration at Urging of La. Farm Bureau, Congresswoman Letlow
The Louisiana Farm Service Agency’s State Emergency Board will convene Wednesday, November 9 to consider requesting a Secretarial Disaster Declaration from the United States Department of Agriculture for crop losses due to excessive rains in August of 2022.
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USDA Announces November '22 Lending Rates for Ag Producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for November 2022, which are effective Nov. 1, 2022. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.
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USDA Opens Registration for the 2023 Agricultural Outlook Forum
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that registration is now open for the 99th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF), USDA’s largest and premier annual event. The two-day event will be held in-person at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott on February 23-24, 2023, and all sessions will be livestreamed on a virtual platform.
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USDA Extends Application Deadline For Underserved Producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that it will extend the deadline for stakeholder organizations to submit applications for innovative projects that help increase underserved producers’ access to land, capital and markets. The new deadline for applications is Nov. 18, 2022.
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USDA Provides Payments of Nearly $800M in Assistance To Help Keep Farmers Farming
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that distressed borrowers with qualifying USDA farm loans have already received nearly $800 million in assistance, as part of the $3.1 billion in assistance for distressed farm loan borrowers provided through Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA directed USDA to expedite assistance to distressed borrowers of direct or guaranteed loans administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) whose operations face financial risk.
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Dairy Producers Can Now Enroll For 2023 Signup For Dairy Margin Coverage
Dairy producers can now enroll for 2023 coverage through the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program, an important safety net program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that helps producers manage changes in milk and feed prices.
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USDA Seeks Comments On Discrimination Assistance
USDA is seeking public comment on how it should implement the $2.2 billion allocated under Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act, a provision that aims to provide assistance to the nation’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA’s farm lending programs. The 30-day comment period opened Oct. 14.
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Louisiana Crop Production: October 12, 2022
Click below for the latest Louisiana Crop Production report.
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H-2A Seasonal Worker Program has Expanded Over Time
U.S. agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of U.S. domestic workers can fill seasonal farm jobs with temporary foreign workers through the H-2A visa program.
Six States accounted for about half of the H-2A jobs filled in 2021 certified: Florida, Georgia, Washington, California, North Carolina, and Louisiana.
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USDA Announces October 2022 Lending Rates For Ag Producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for October 2022, which are effective Oct. 3, 2022. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.
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USDA Announces 2023 Upland Cotton Marketing Assistance Loan Rate
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation today announced that the marketing assistance loan rate for 2023-crop base quality upland cotton is 52.00 cents per pound.
Marketing assistance loans provide interim financing to producers so that commodities can be stored upon harvest when market prices are typically low and sold later when price conditions are more favorable.
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