In August 2023, the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer revealed a decline in farmers’ sentiment. The Ag Economy Barometer decreased by 8 points, settling at a reading of 115 for August, indicating a diminished confidence level among farmers.
The drop in sentiment primarily stemmed from farmers’ less optimistic views regarding the current state of their farms and the broader U.S. agriculture industry.
Read MoreLast week was a case of bad news for some was good news to others. Hurricane Idalia was expected to take her Category 3 winds east of all but a small portion of the Georgia crop. Instead, upon landfall it veered slightly northward damaging a much larger expanse of the state’s crop.
Read MoreLouisiana’s sugar cane farmers and millers found it hard to take George Will’s “Sugar protectionism may sour holidays” column seriously.
Will invokes a scary image of candy rationing for American trick-or-treaters and Christmas angels. In Will’s world, candy makers believe the Grinch is hardworking sugar cane farmers and Congressional members who have steadfastly kept the Farm Bill safety net strong for United States agricultural production.
Read MoreWhile crawfish season begins in January, drought conditions could have an impact on the state’s $230 million dollar crawfish industry. LSU AgCenter Area Agent for crawfish production Todd Fontenot says producers are already flushing their fields to reduce cracking.
Read MoreCheck out these new satellite images of the wildfire that has burned more than 31,000 acres in Louisiana.
Agriculture and forestry authorities in Beauregard Parish say the largest fire in state history was caused by arson.
Read MoreIntroducing a change in agronomic practices can be compared to pressing the reset button on a computer or router. The practice change requires the soil system to restart before it establishes a new normal.
“We don’t know what that reset will look like, but with conservation practices, it often results in a crop yield hit as the soil microbes adjust,” explains Lisa Fultz, associate professor and soil microbiologist with Louisiana State University AgCenter.
Read MoreSeptember is National Rice Month, a time to celebrate the harvest of the small but mighty grain that has captivated Americans’ hearts and stomachs for more than 300 years. Nearly 85 percent of the rice consumed in the United States is grown right here on family farms across six states: Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas.
Read MoreIn partnership with the US Rice Producers Association, the Stoesser family is offering a $5,000 scholarship to one deserving high school senior or current college student who is interested in or is currently pursuing a career in an agriculture-related field.
In addition to the monetary award, the selected recipient will serve as a student ambassador for USRPA in 2024 with an expectation of participating in at least two activities during the calendar year.
Read MoreNorth of New Roads and Morganza, a roughly 60-year-old collection of dams, channels, locks and guide levees has kept the Mississippi River from jumping its course and taking the steeper, more direct route down the Atchafalaya River.
Read MoreHugh Andre can’t get enough of the smell of the dirt.
As a first generation farmer, Andre loves what he does. And he does it each and every day he can.
Andre is from Iberia parish. He went to school at Catholic High and began farming in 1998 where he started with 75 acres of land and built it to 8,000 acres that is today.
Read MoreAs the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival enters its 80th year of entertaining Teche Area residents, organizers are trying to consolidate the festival more into downtown New Iberia.
For Louisiana Sugar Cane Association President Lisa Norris, the effort is an attempt to bring the festival back to its roots. For years the festival has been spread out in various parts of the parish and bringing more events to the Main Street area.
Read MoreThe Southern University College of Agricultural, Human and Environmental Sciences, formally known as the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences, held a student convocation on August 31, 2023 in the auditorium of T.T. Allain Hall.
The standing-room-only crowd of Agricultural students was welcomed by Saturn Douglas, Director of Recruitment and Retention, and Dr. Renita Marshall, Vice Chancellor for Academics and Student Support-Associate Dean, shared updates from the College.
Read MoreIn a summer replete with challenges for Louisiana farmers as they’ve dealt with a heatwave and extended drought conditions, there is finally some good news on the agricultural front. The state’s sweet potato crop is doing just fine, and although harvest may be slightly delayed this year, some producers are expecting bumper yields.
Read MoreThe Louisiana official who leads the state’s wildfire fighting efforts says he will ask the legislature for more resources next year, including additional personnel and a tanker plane that can drop water on blazes. His pending request comes as emergency crews attempt to contain major fires in southwest Louisiana under persisting drought conditions.
Read MoreLouisiana is home to more than 1 million feral hogs.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries suggests that 70% of hogs are killed every year to maintain a stable environment.
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