The latest threat to the nation’s last great overflow swamp subsided, at least for now, but reports last week leave its overall health in question.
It’s a salty situation in more ways than one, for sure.
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Corn and soybean production is down from September 2023, according to the Crop Production report issued today by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Corn production is forecast at 15.1 billion bushels, down less than 1% from the previous forecast but up 10% from last year; soybean growers are expected to decrease their production 4% from 2022, forecast at 4.10 billion bushels.
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As residents of Louisiana prepare for possible disruptions in their drinking water caused by saltwater intrusion, researchers from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are assisting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New Orleans District with assessment and mitigation efforts.
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A statewide burn ban was declared by the Office of State Fire Marshal on August 25, 2023, due to their authority under R.S. 40:1602, prohibiting all types of private burning without exception. Local jurisdictions were allowed to make their own decisions regarding the ban, but Franklin Fire Chief Chuck Bourgeois has decided to maintain it within Franklin Fire Department’s jurisdiction due to insufficient rainfall. The ban stays in effect until further notice.
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As consumers continue to be conscientious about their food choices, a new survey from the United Soybean Board reveals valuable insights into consumer preferences and purchasing attitudes for animal protein, particularly pork products. According to the survey, 70% of respondents say that animal diet is extremely or very important to them when purchasing meat, up from 51% in 2019.
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This report contains the results from the 2023 October Ag Yield Survey
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The head of USDA suggests one of the top requests for the 2023 Farm Bill might be too heavy a lift.
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says updating reference prices for every commodity would cost $20 billion over ten years.
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Raleigh, N.C.-based climate technology company Natrx, provider of nature-based infrastructure technologies, announced on Oct. 11 that it has raised over $3.5 million in an oversubscribed seed funding round led by Ponderosa Ventures and Oval Park Capital. This raise brings the company’s total funding to date to more than $5.2 million.
Natrx president Matt Campbell is a Louisiana native who received his undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University.
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The LSU AgCenter and the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture are partnering to bring a drone training curriculum to high school students across the state.
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Louisiana elected officials are rallying to find solutions to help protect the state’s shrimp fishermen from cheap foreign shrimp that critics say is depriving shrimpers of their livelihood and undermining public health.
Last month, the state Legislature’s Seafood Safety Task Force met to consider ways to stem the influx of shrimp from China and other nations amid concerns that the imported seafood may contain impurities that pose risks to the health of Louisianans.
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A black bear season may soon be enacted in Louisiana.
Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commissioners announced a notice of intent (NOI) will be introduced in their November meeting, detailing such a season.
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The LSU AgCenter and the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture are partnering to bring a drone training curriculum to high school students across the state.
The program’s funding comes from a $800,000 grant awarded to Brian Gautreau, LSU AgCenter youth wetlands and education outreach program coordinator.
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Despite the state experiencing much-needed rain, officials are not sure when the drought will end.
“Hopefully we can get enough rain to at least help us with the burn ban situations and the wildfires throughout our state right now, but as far as getting enough to raise water levels, I don’t see it in the near forecast,” said Doug Anderson, public information officer for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture is extending the deadline for the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program to January 13, 2024, to give eligible farmers, ranchers and forest landowners more time to apply for assistance. The original deadline was October 31, 2023.
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