Every year at the Annual Rice Awards Luncheon, Rice Farming Magazine bestows three awards: Rice Farmer of the Year, the Rice Industry Award, and the Rice Lifetime Achievement Award. These annual recognitions, co-sponsored by Horizon Ag and USA Rice, highlight some of the most positive achievements associated with the U.S. rice industry.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) welcomes input on the assessment of environmental impacts on two programs – the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) and Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting comments until Jan. 18 on its draft programmatic environmental assessments. The TAP environmental assessment includes updates to streamline the program and enable a quick response to natural disasters. The FSFL environmental assessment recommends continuing the program as currently administered.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter conducts research that provides valuable information for Louisiana farmers. To help growers make informed decisions about variety selection and fungicide use, the LSU AgCenter conducts side-by-side soybean official variety trials (OVT) at research stations. For the OVT, seed companies and university-based breeding programs enter varieties to be evaluated in different growing conditions across Louisiana.
Read MoreCongress appears to have failed to reach a consensus Wednesday on a Continuing Resolution.
We're grateful to you, our grassroots members, for taking the time let your representatives in Washington, D.C. know Louisiana agriculture cannot be ignored.
Read MoreA team of researchers in Louisiana and Florida recently received nearly $500,000 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute for Food and Agriculture to better train farm workers and underserved farmers in food safety practices.
The team, composed of researchers from the LSU AgCenter, Southern University Ag Center and Florida A&M University, will use the funds to provide interactive techniques, which the researchers believe will provide better learning opportunities for the farm workers.
Read MoreLSU AgCenter experts will be featured speakers during a national multi-conference event, Jan. 27 and 28 in East Memphis, Tennessee. The conferences include the National Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice, Southern Soybean and Corn, Delta States Irrigation and the Southern Precision Ag Conferences.
The conference will mark the 28th year that LSU AgCenter along with six other Midsouth universities have co-sponsored these conferences. The other universities are Auburn University, Mississippi State University, University of Arkansas, University of Missouri, University of Tennessee and Texas A&M University.
Read MoreCalcasieu-Cameron Parish U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that County Committee elections are over, and the ballots have been counted.
Robert Denison of Iowa was re-elected to represent local administrative area 1 (LAA 1) and Adam Habetz of Choupique was elected to represent local administrative area 5 (LAA-5).
Read MoreBeauregard-Vernon Parish U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that County Committee elections are over, and the ballots have been counted.
Joey Andrews of DeRidder was re-elected to represent local administrative area 3 (LAA 3).
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall today is asking Congress to pass the continuing resolution bill that includes support for farmers.
“I know I speak for farmers across the country when I say thank you to Speaker Johnson, Leaders Jeffries, Schumer and McConnell, and many other members of Congress for recognizing the incredibly difficult agricultural economy by including in the year-end legislation: much-needed economic assistance for farmers; emergency aid for communities devastated by natural disasters; a farm bill extension; and for making E-15 available at fuel pumps all year long.
Read MoreTesting has confirmed a case of avian influenza in a backyard flock in Bossier Parish, Louisiana. The backyard flock owner alerted the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry of increased mortality in the backyard flock. Following an investigation by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the non-commercial backyard flock (non-poultry).
Read MoreThe American farm economy is in crisis, and farmers need immediate supplemental economic assistance to stay afloat.
Louisiana Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau Federation worked over the weekend to ensure a final government funding deal did not leave agriculture behind. Congressional leaders floated the idea of a clean Continuing Resolution with a simple Farm Bill extension. Agricultural advocates responded with a clear message: “No. We won’t be left out this time.”
Read MoreA flesh-eating maggot that had been eradicated in the U.S. and parts of Central America is back and could potentially threaten Louisiana cattle, experts in the beef industry are warning.
Due to the reappearance of New World screwworms in Mexico — a type of flesh-eating maggot — the USDA has suspended all cattle and bison imports.
Read MoreThe Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) President & CEO Daren Coppock released the following statement with concerns that Congress may neglect critical payments needed by growers as legislators work on the year-end continuing resolution this week.
Read MoreNational Sorghum Producers Chair Amy France, a sorghum farmer from Scott City, Kansas, released the following statement of concern over Congress’ inability to include economic relief for producers in the year-end supplemental legislation. NSP is urging lawmakers from farm states to reject the bill if it fails to include this vital assistance.
Read MoreAs members of Congress representing districts where farming and ranching keep our rural communities alive, we know the challenges producers endure to provide for our country. However, inflation, high interest rates, and erratic weather have driven many farmers across the country to the breaking point.
Farmers need relief in the form of an updated farm bill, and Congress must act. Instead of adjusting the 2018 farm bill to provide reasonable support, Congress extended this legislation in September 2023 without meaningful reforms.
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