The Secretary of Agriculture Designates 3 Parishes in Louisiana as Natural Disaster Areas Due to Flooding caused by Tropical Storm Arthur
A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in primary parishes and those areas contiguous to such primary parishes eligible to be considered for Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loan assistance, provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible areas have 8 months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans. FSA considers each emergency loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of production losses on the farm and the security and repayment ability of the operator.
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USDA/NASS Updated Louisiana 2026 Crop Data
The USDA has released updated estimates for Louisiana’s 2026 crop production, including acreage, yields and total production for major commodities across the state.
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New Livestock Watering System Provides Many Benefits to Producer, Cattle
A new solar-powered livestock watering system implemented with assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allowing Crawford County farmer Ralph Dorale to better utilize his pasture, reduce soil erosion, increase his cow herd, and improve cattle performance on his rented 153-acre pasture.
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USDA Improves Access to Credit by Streamlining and Modernizing Farm Loans
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is improving access to credit for farmers and ranchers by making farm loan policy and technology improvements, reducing administrative burdens and strengthening financial security.
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Rollins Unveils USDA’s Data Modernization Plan
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says USDA’s new data modernization plan is designed to provide farmers with better and more useful information.
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3 Parishes Declared Disaster Areas
The Secretary of Agriculture has issued a disaster declaration for three Louisiana Parishes as well as several contiguous parishes due to flooding “associated with Tropical Storm Arthur that occurred from June 17, 2026, and continuing.”
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USDA Rural Development Celebrates Groundbreaking of New Hospital in Delhi, Louisiana, with $79.1M Investment
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Louisiana State Director Troy Romero joined Delhi Hospital today to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new hospital in Delhi, made possible with $79.1 million in USDA funding. This major investment will replace the community’s existing outdated and undersized facility and expand access to essential health care services for residents throughout Richland Parish and neighboring rural regions.
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Secretary Rollins Announces Ranchers First Initiatives to Rebuild the Great American Beef Herd
Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the Ranchers First Initiative, a sweeping package of actions to continue rebuilding the Great American Beef Herd and put America’s ranchers back at the center of our nation’s food supply. Building on USDA’s October 2025 Plan to Fortify the American Beef Industry, the Trump Administration is delivering again.
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USDA Rule Expands Payment Limits Across Farm Structures
USDA’s new payment limitation rule gives eligible LLCs and S corporations access to multiple program payment limits beginning with the 2026 program year, reducing a longstanding disadvantage compared with general partnerships and joint ventures.
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USDA Announces No Actions Under Feedstock Flexibility Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announced today that it does not expect to purchase and sell sugar under the Feedstock Flexibility Program for crop year 2026, which runs from Oct. 1, 2026, to Sept. 30, 2027.
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From Field to Stream: How Farmers and Ranchers Are Protecting Water Quality
August is National Water Quality Month, celebrating one of earth’s most vital resources: clean water. Across America, farmers and ranchers are working with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to protect the water that connects our country’s farms, families, and communities.
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USDA Announces $2M to Help U.S. Tree Nut Producers Overcome Barriers to Overseas Trade
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) announced a $2 million project to support the development of cost-effective tools that help tree nut handlers control pests and maintain product quality while crops are in storage after harvest.
Funded under the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports (ASCE) Initiative, this opportunity is part of a broader ASCE suite of investments for specialty crop producers, which include fruits, vegetables, pulses, potatoes and tree nuts.
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Dr. Paul Coreil to Deliver 2026 Seaman Knapp Memorial Lecture
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Director Dr. Jaye Hamby has announced that Dr. Paul Coreil, retired chancellor for the Louisiana State University of Alexandria, will deliver the 2026 Seaman Knapp Memorial Lecture Sunday, Nov. 15 at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) annual meeting in San Antonio, TX.
The lecture is one of three rotating lectures presented by NIFA and APLU that honor three historic Land-grant University figures: William Henry Hatch, Seaman A. Knapp and Justin Smith Morrill.
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USDA Extends Supplemental Disaster Relief Program Application Deadline, Announces New Flexibilities for 2023 and 2024 Quality Losses
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline for farmers to apply for Stages 1 and 2 of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) to Sept. 30, 2026. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is providing greater flexibility for farmers who experienced quality losses on eligible crops.
Now, when applying for this key program, farmers who experienced quality-related discounts can use verifiable and reliable documentation to show quality losses due to natural disasters occurring 2023 and 2024.
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USDA Crop Progress Report - August 17, 2026
Released August 17, 2026, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
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