The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its latest version of the Hardiness Zone Map, and Louisiana’s zone has gotten warmer.
The USDA Hardiness Zone Map classifies geographic regions by their average minimum winter temperatures. The map helps gardeners and landscaping experts choose plants that are suited to specific climates and take care of them on the correct schedule.
Read MoreU.S. farm establishments received 14.9 cents per dollar spent on domestically produced food in 2022 as compensation for farm commodity production. This portion, called the farm share, is a decrease of 0.3 cents from a revised 15.2 cents in 2021. The farm share covers operating expenses as well as input costs from nonfarm establishments.
Read MoreIn a surprise move for so late in the season, USDA raised its corn yield forecast by nearly 2 bu. per acre in the November Crop Production Report. With a larger crop currently being harvested across the U.S., it means estimated corn ending stocks is getting even bigger, but analysts say the increase wasn’t as big as it could have been since USDA also boosted demand.
Read MoreLouisiana corn for grain production is forecast at 119 million bushels, unchanged from the October 1 forecast but up 61 percent from 2022. Based on conditions as of November 1, yield is expected to average 175 bushels per acre, unchanged from last month but up 5 bushels from last year. Producers expect to harvest 680,000 acres of corn for grain, up 245,000 acres from 2022.
Read MoreAs part of ongoing outreach efforts to help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) farm lending programs apply for financial assistance that may be available to them, Analytic Acquisitions LLC will host a series of community events in Louisiana in November. Analytic Acquisitions is an official administrator for the USDA’s Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP), which makes available $2.2 billion to producers who experienced farm-lending discrimination prior to January 1, 2021.
Read MoreThe USDA has announced the first in a series of rules under the Packers and Stockyards Act to increase competition in agriculture and better support American farmers and ranchers.
Secretary Tom Vilsack says the department’s Transparency in Poultry Grower Contracting and Tournaments final rule will require a Live Poultry Dealer Disclosure Document for growers.
Read MoreLouisiana was the first state to wrap up soybean harvest for the week ending Oct. 29, and remains the only state to have finished harvesting soybeans for the week ending Nov. 5, USDA reports.
Mike Strain, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, says that heat and drought resulted in some poor yields for the state’s first batch of soybeans, averaging 10 to 12 bushels per acre (bpa).
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin 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 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 postmarked by Dec. 4, 2023, for those ballots to be counted.
Read MoreSeveral parishes in northeast Louisiana have been marked eligible to apply for emergency loan funding by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA).
Emergency loans can be used by producers recovering from natural disasters to meet various recovery needs including the placement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or to refinance certain debts.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for November 2023, which are effective Nov. 1, 2023. 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.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourages urban producers, innovative producers and other stakeholders to submit comments for and virtually attend the upcoming public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (Committee) on Nov. 29, 2023.
Read MoreThe U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide more than $3 billion to commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2022. Eligible impacted producers can apply for financial assistance through the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) 2022. The program will help offset the financial impacts of crop yield and value losses from qualifying disasters occurring in 2022.
Read MoreSecretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has notified Governor John Bel Edwards Union Parish has now been declared a disaster area due to the ongoing drought that has plagued Louisiana the past several months.
Several contiguous parishes were also declared disaster areas: Claiborne, Lincoln, Morehouse and Ouachita.
Read MoreLouisiana milk production during the July - September 2023 quarter was 20.0 million pounds, down 9 percent from the same period in 2022 and down 31 percent from the April - June quarter. The average number of milk cows on farms during the quarter was 7,000 head, 1,000 head lower than the same period last year and 1,000 head lower than the previous quarter.
Read MoreThe United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking substantial strides to fortify the foundations of American agriculture with the announcement of $27.6 million in grants. This funding will be channeled into training, outreach, and technical assistance programs designed to empower underserved and veteran farmers, ranchers, and foresters, enabling them to thrive as the stewards of successful farms, ranches, and forest lands. Administered by the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE), these funds signify a resolute commitment to fostering equity, inclusion, and accessibility to USDA programs and resources.
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