On October 28, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will mail the Cost of Pollination Inquiry – November 2024 to nearly 16,000 producers nationwide, including 80 Louisiana crop producers. The survey results will help producers and beekeepers monitor and react to changes in production costs. Pollination expenditures are a necessary part of agriculture and are directly tied to the health of the honey bee industry.
Read MoreNotice of a major Disaster Declaration for the State of Louisiana is hereby amended to include the following areas among those areas determined to have been adversely affected by the event declared a major disaster by the President in his declaration of September 16, 2024.
Read MoreLouisiana milk production during the July - September 2024 quarter was 19.0 million pounds, down 5 percent from the same period in 2023 and down 24 percent from the April - June quarter. The average number of milk cows on farms during the quarter was 7,000 head, unchanged from the same period last year but 500 head lower than the previous quarter.
Read MoreAccording to the National Agricultural Statistics Service in Louisiana, there were 7.0 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Sunday, October 20, 2024. Topsoil moisture supplies were 43 percent very short, 41 percent short, 16 percent adequate, and 0 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were 32 percent very short, 48 percent short, 20 percent adequate, and 0 percent surplus.
Read MoreAgriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced additional assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help producers impacted by Hurricane Helene in the recovery process. USDA is announcing the counties that have triggered for payment under the Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) endorsement for Hurricane Helene. As a result, Approved Insurance Providers (AIP) have 30 days to issue payments to producers, but AIPs typically issue payments much sooner.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) in Louisiana announced today that it is opening an application period for the Open Pine Landscape Restoration Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project. The signup period will begin on November 18 and run until December 13, 2024.
Read MoreU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today announced a more than $46 million investment in projects supporting America’s veteran, underserved, and beginning farmers and ranchers to help aspiring producers enter the business and improve their skills and knowledge to sustain their operations for years to come.
Read MoreThe notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of Texas is hereby amended to include permanent work under the Public Assistance program for the following areas among those areas determined to have been adversely affected by the event declared a major disaster by the President in his declaration of July 9, 2024.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an additional $250 million in automatic payments for distressed direct and guaranteed farm loan borrowers under Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act. This significant step continues USDA's commitment to keeping farmers and ranchers financially viable and support for agricultural communities.
Over the past two years, USDA acted swiftly to assist borrowers in retaining their land and continuing their agricultural operations. Since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in August 2022, the USDA has provided approximately $2.4 billion in assistance to more than 43,900 distressed borrowers.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded farmers and small businesses from 34 states, including Arkansas and Louisiana, grants through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to expand access to clean energy and lower energy bills.
In Louisiana, farmers and small businesses were awarded more than $2.2 million to combat the climate crisis.
Read MoreOn a recent fall day, as Wilburn Harris did the rounds on his cattle farm in the Missouri town of Drexel, he was met with brown grass, cracked soil and half-empty ponds.
He was used to it. Last year’s drought was so bad, he had to haul water and hay to his farm to keep the animals fed and watered.
Read MoreLouisiana all wheat stored in off farm storage facilities on September 1, 2024 totaled 6.92 million bushels, up 28 percent from a year ago. United States all wheat stored in all positions on September 1, 2024 totaled 1.99 billion bushels, up 12 percent from a year ago. On farm stocks are estimated at 664 million bushels, up 11 percent from last September. Off farm stocks, at 1.32 billion bushels, are up 13 percent from a year ago.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for October 2024, which are effective Oct. 1, 2024. USDA 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 United States Department of Agriculture has created a new position in state Farm Service Agency offices designed to keep continuity of services during changes of Federal administrations. That new position is the Deputy State Executive Director (DSED) and serves in a direct supervisory line over all Federal FSA positions in the state. The position would also serve as the State Executive Director’s (SED) proxy in their absence and participates fully with the SED in managing state programs to further the agency’s mission.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $58 million available for marketing assistance to eligible organic dairy producers through the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP) 2024 to help expand the market for organic dairy and increase the consumption of organic dairy.
“The Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program continues USDA’s commitment to keep the market for organic dairies sustainable as they weather challenges outside of their control,” said USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Zach Ducheneaux.
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