More farmers may be seeking USDA Farm Service Agency direct and guaranteed loans this winter because of the financial situations they find themselves in due to multiple years of high input costs, low commodity prices and adverse weather conditions.
For that reason, they need to be aware that FSA administrators have launched several new programs aimed at improving the lending process, including a Farm Loan Assistance Tool designed to help guide them through USDA’s lending programs.
Read MoreThe International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance tentatively agreed to a new contract Wednesday night, averting a strike at East and Gulf coast ports. The two sides had been engaged in extended negotiations for the past three months following a brief dockworker strike in October.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) warns of potential fish kills along the coast as freezing temperatures and an arctic blast sweep across the state. Fisheries biologist Jason Adriance says water temperatures haven’t dropped enough yet.
“We still have water temperatures in the low-50 to mid-60. So, this is just a reminder to folks to be aware that this can happen.”
Read MoreAfter multiple substitute motions to align the Rapides Parish School Board 2025-26 calendar with dates for the Rapides Parish Fair, members decided to delay action until a special meeting later this month.
Member Sandra Franklin started the 35-minute conversation when she said the board needed "to start investing in our young people and options." Louisiana is a state heavily invested in agriculture and forestry, she said, and students should be educated about that.
Read MoreSustainability is now a key component in cotton production around the world. And no more so than in the U.S., where cotton growers have multiple industry and corporate options for participation. Many dedicated people have invested many hours in developing, nurturing, and driving these programs to their current levels over the past several years.
Among all of those folks, you’ll find Ted Schneider.
Read MoreThe New Year brings joy and hope for another successful cotton year. While the beginning of the year saw prices fall below 68 cents, the market still projects a recovery to the 72-cent level. Yet, most fundamentals point to lower prices, at least until the expiry of the March futures contract.
Read MoreIn 2022, 39% of agricultural land was rented – a proportion that has remained relatively stable for over 50 years. When deciding how to acquire land, rising farm real estate values can be a valuable asset or an extra hit to growing production expenses. Farmers and ranchers who operate a mix of owned and rented land make up over half of agricultural land in production and are affected by both sides of land value spikes.
Read MoreThe year 2024 is history! What will the year 2025 bring? No one knows, but we all have opinions, answers and questions. Let’s look back at the year 2024 to gain some perspective. Looking at the cattle industry we notice one theme, “Record Breaking”. Yes, the industry has broken many records.
Read MoreThe Rice Technical Working Group (RTWG), which convenes every two years, bringing together research and extension faculty, and rice industry professionals to exchange information, engage in cooperative planning, and review rice research, will meet February 17-20 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel.
The RTWG has grown to become one of the largest rice-focused meetings in the country, with more than 300 participants from around the world attending the 2023 meeting.
Read MoreGovernor Jeff Landry announced appointments to the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System and Board of Regents, including Ted Glaser of Pointe Coupee Parish.
Read MoreLouisiana’s Chronic Wasting Disease news took another turn for the worse last week when a state agency reported three more positive cases in captive deer facilities in three new parishes. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry said it detected the cases while investigating movement records following a CWD positive test found in a Jeff Davis Parish facility in November.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers, including dairy producers impacted by H5N1, that the deadline to apply for financial assistance through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) is Jan. 30, 2025, for losses due to specific adverse conditions that occurred in 2024.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that 15 additional states have enrolled in the National Milk Testing Strategy, bringing the total number of states to 28 in roughly one month since the program launched. These 28 states represent nearly 65% of the nation’s milk production. In addition, USDA is sharing updates on its expedited work to support vaccine development for use in poultry and bovine species, as part of a multi-faceted effort to fight the spread of H5N1.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing a total of $14.4 million in grants and technical assistance through two separately funded projects to support urban agriculture and innovative production. USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) is making available $2.5 million for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) grants, building on $53.7 million invested in UAIP grant projects by OUAIP since 2020.
Read MoreU.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced the appointment or reappointment of 53 members to serve on seven agricultural trade advisory committees.
The advisory committee system was created by Congress in 1974 to ensure that U.S. agricultural stakeholders have input and insight into U.S. trade policy and negotiating objectives.
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