In the last seven days alone, another winter storm and an arctic burst have worked their way across the United States — adding to a very active January of winter weather.
Parts of southeast Texas and Louisiana got over 6 inches of snow, while even Mississippi, Alabama, and northern Florida reported substantial snowfall on the ground.
Read MoreProducers in south Lousiana have hunkered down as the region experiences its first-ever blizzard warning.
Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Mike Strain joined RFD-TV’s own Tammi Arender to talk about current conditions across the state, if the community was prepared for this warning, and what ripple effects lay ahead for agriculture.
Read MoreOne of the world’s biggest crop traders has halted loading of grain vessels at U.S. Gulf terminals as the region’s worst snowstorm in 130 years slams the region.
Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. declared force majeure in southern Louisiana with vessels struggling to navigate the weather conditions, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company didn’t immediately provide comment.
Read MoreSmall farmers from throughout the state will gather at the Maurice A. Edmond Livestock Arena from February 27 – March 1, 2025, to compete for an opportunity to be named grand champion during the Southern University Ag Center’s 82nd Annual State Livestock and Poultry Show.
Several events have been planned leading up to the Annual Show. These events include the Boots and Bling Affair, a Livestock Give Day, and an Educational Expo for local students.
Read MoreFor more than 130 years, research has been a top priority for LSU agriculture.
Since the 1880s, agricultural experiment stations have provided researchers fertile ground to work to improve the agricultural production and economy of Louisiana.
What began with three agricultural research outposts staffed by 15 employees more than a century ago has evolved into 14 LSU AgCenter research stations statewide staffed by dozens of world-renowned scientists.
Read MoreThis year’s big game will take place in the Big Easy, and snacks around the country will celebrate New Orleans’ strong culinary culture. In honor of Super Bowl LIX, local Louisiana restaurants are preparing to ship out their wares, specialty items and delicious goods nationwide to let football fans and snackers across America feel like they’re near Caesars Superdome, where two teams will play the National Football League’s championship game on Sunday, February 9.
Read MoreChoice of varieties for planting is a crucial management decision that sets the stage for yield potential and input costs. While grain yield is the most important factor, test weight, disease resistance, and heading date are important considerations as they also impact economic return.
Test weight is important because low test weight results in dockage at the elevator. Heading day is a function of cold requirement (vernalization) and day length (photoperiod) response that determines when a variety heads out.
Read MoreThe snow has come and gone — and so has the excitement that came with such a meteorological rarity in Louisiana. Now, some gardeners are looking outside at a far less enjoyable sight: plants that turned gray, brown and perhaps even mushy in this week’s frigid temperatures.
Read MoreWhat will the 2025 snowstorm and cold temperatures mean for the upcoming crawfish season? LSU AgCenter crawfish expert Mark Shirley says the mudbugs will bury themselves as deep into the mud as they can.
“It’s not going to kill the crawfish, but it will significantly reduce their movements. So, I think the supply of crawfish over the next several days, well, probably for the next week or so, is going to be a shorter supply of crawfish,” Shirley said.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter will have a free, year-long training program for Louisiana’s beginning farmers this spring. A beginning farmer is defined as those currently farming with fewer than 10 years of experience or those wanting to start farming.
Read MoreThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently published an updated definition that provides guidance on what food products can claim to be “healthy” under federal rules. Whole grain rice was identified as part of the estimated five percent of foods that meet the new definition and now qualify to use the healthy claim on packaging and marketing materials.
Read MoreThe Bear will continue to dominate our cotton market. As much as we want to look ahead and find a bull rummaging through the market, bearish fundamentals continue to dominate. Simply stated, a bull market cannot exist in the absence of demand. Thus, cotton’s battle for market share will continue to dominate pricing throughout 2025.
Positive indicators even come with a grain of salt.
Read MorePorts in Texas and Louisiana remained closed to shipping traffic Tuesday morning due to a winter storm, a shipping agent said.
Marine pilots suspended boardings at the Texas ports of Houston, Galveston, Texas City and Freeport late on 20 January. Traffic also was halted at the Sabine-Neches Waterway on the Texas-Louisiana border, which offers access to terminals and refineries in Port Arthur and Beaumont, Texas, as well as Cheniere's Sabine Pass liquefied natural gas terminal.
Read MoreMississippi authorities captured a man wanted in multiple states after he allegedly bought livestock and agricultural equipment with fraudulent checks.
Law enforcement captured Johnny Payne II of Louisiana on Jan. 11 in Rankin County, the Mississippi Agriculture and Livestock Theft Bureau (MALTB) announced on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
Read MoreA new law requiring restaurants in Louisiana to tell their customers the specific country of origin of any seafood being served is causing some confusion among state officials and industry leaders.
Act 148 of the 2024 regular legislative session brought sweeping changes to laws affecting restaurants and other food establishments in an effort to protect Louisiana’s struggling domestic seafood industry. However, the new law, which took effect Jan. 1, could undergo some clarification revisions when lawmakers reconvene this spring. At issue are several provisions concerning menu and labeling requirements.
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