Louisiana agriculture has lost a giant.

Willie F. Cooper, a dedicated public servant whose career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture spanned more than half a century, has passed away, leaving behind a legacy that shaped generations of farmers and agricultural policy across the state.

In an exclusive interview Thursday afternoon, AGDAILY spoke to Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation Richard Fordyce about key tax breaks for farmers resulting from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) signed last July.

USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics Under Secretary Dr. Scott Hutchins today announced the launch of the USDA National Proving Grounds Network for AgTech (NPG-Ag), a nationwide initiative designed to rigorously evaluate agricultural technologies under real-world U.S. farming and ranching conditions.

It’s a new day in Melville as the St. Landry Parish community is overhauling its 60-year-old water system. The city’s outgoing water system was built on deteriorating pipes and a single overworked well, and Mayor Caretta Robertson says it was costing the town lots of money to keep it suitable for consumption.

Last Friday at the White House, President Trump and I stood shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of farmers to celebrate the greatness of American agriculture. Every day, patriots across rural America pour every fiber of their being into the vital work of feeding, fueling, and clothing America and the rest of the world, and they deserve our gratitude.

The April USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report is scheduled for release on Thursday, April 9. Historically, this is one of the least volatile reports of the year.

President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for USDA again calls for making a nearly 20% cut to discretionary programs the administration doesn’t support.