U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced two bills to protect Louisiana rice and shrimp against China and India’s dumping of cheap shrimp and produce into U.S. markets. The Prioritizing Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Enforcement Act and the India Shrimp Tariff Act will both protect the Louisiana agricultural industry while ensuring that food that appears on U.S. store shelves meets U.S. health standards.
Read MoreNutrition assistance benefits for low-income women and their children would cease, farmers won't have access to government loans and tens of thousands of USDA staff won't get paid.
Those are the top-line impacts rural communities can expect to experience if Congress fails to pass legislation required to keep the federal government operational before a Sept. 30 deadline, according to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Read MoreFifth graders from East Baton Rouge Parish recently met at Burden Museum & Gardens to learn lessons about teamwork, making healthier choices and to have a little fun at the inaugural AgBash cosponsored by the LSU and Southern University agricultural centers.
Read MoreThe Louisiana rice industry celebrates National Rice Month doing what they do best – cooking and sharing the region’s homegrown rice!
Throughout the month, annual cooking competitions from the Port of Lake Charles to Jennings to Crowley reward rice chefs with prizes, recognition, and bragging rights.
Read MoreLouisiana crawfish farmers and cattle ranchers affected by this year’s drought will have additional protections in the 2023 Farm Bill if Congress passes H.R. 5691, the Drought Assistance Improvement Act, authored by Louisiana 5th District Congresswoman Julia Letlow.
Read MoreCongresswoman Julia Letlow (LA-05) announced the introduction of H.R. 5691, the Drought Assistance Improvement Act. This bill will amend the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and improve the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP).
As it currently stands, the Livestock Forage Disaster Program requires cattle producers to be at a level of Severe Drought (D2) for eight consecutive weeks to qualify for one month of disaster relief.
Read MoreFollowing consultation among the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF), the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFM), the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security (GOHSEP), and the National Weather Service (NWS), the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry has modified the burn ban order to rescind the prohibition on agricultural burning, EXCEPT for standing sugarcane, effective as of 5:00 p.m., September 27.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter and the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture are bringing drone training to high school students across the state.
Brian Gautreau, LSU AgCenter youth wetlands and education outreach program coordinator, has been awarded a nearly $800,000 grant that will bring drone education to Louisiana in formal and informal settings.
Read MoreThe LSU Ag Center Office of Youth Development is excited to announce the return of the highly anticipated 2023 Bash on the Bayou, proudly presented by Sunshine Quality Solutions. This Louisiana 4-H and FFA tailgate event is set to take place on October 21st in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in celebration of the LSU vs. ARMY football game.
Read MoreLouisiana K-12 school district child nutrition directors and purchasing agents were invited to the LSU Hilltop Arboretum on Wednesday, Sept. 20 for “Meet the Buyer,” a networking event where they connected face-to-face with Louisiana farmers and other food vendors.
Read MoreLouisiana is home to some of the most destructive invasive species found in the United States. The LSU AgCenter has long worked to monitor and manage these non-native insects, weeds and wildlife.
To better understand and control invasive species, the LSU AgCenter is developing a Center of Research Excellence for the Study of Invasive Species.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will begin issuing more than $1.75 billion in emergency relief payments to eligible farmers and livestock producers. These much-needed payments are helping farming and ranching operations recover following natural disasters in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Read MoreLouisiana rice farmers will get a little extra help from the federal government this year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that rice producers will receive an additional payment through the Farm Service Agency’s Rice Production Program, which provides up to $250 million in assistance to rice farmers.
Read MoreThe search continues for those responsible for intentionally setting the wildfires that have left parts of Louisiana charred and damaged.
Read MoreFor the second consecutive year below normal water levels are being recorded along areas of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. US Department of Agriculture Meteorologist Brad Rippey notes how barge traffic along the Mississippi River has been impacted by a recent lowering of water levels.
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