A new round of genetic seafood testing conducted for a state advisory panel detected foreign shrimp that was falsely presented as domestic in a small percentage of the restaurants sampled in New Orleans, despite a new state law that forbids the practice.
Read MoreIn the wake of recent natural disasters causing severe damage to Louisiana’s timber economy, Congresswoman Julia Letlow has introduced legislation adding improvements to disaster relief programs for forest landowners.
Read MoreYesterday proved to be a busy day for rice growers from southeast Texas to central and northeast Louisiana.
In what was likely a first time, and probably on nobody’s Bingo card, the SETX Rice Symposium had to be rescheduled due to an unprecedented snow event across the Gulf Coast region in late January. Dr. Mithila Jugulam, director of the Rice Research Station in Beaumont, welcomed growers and industry representatives to the Winnie Stovall Community Center yesterday afternoon.
America’s farmers and ranchers need a new, modernized farm bill, a strengthened farm safety net, and open trading markets. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall traveled to the Capitol to emphasize those priorities to the Senate Agriculture Committee today as he testified in the hearing “Perspectives from the Field: Farmer and Rancher Views on the Agricultural Economy, Part I.”
Read MoreAs a precautionary measure, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has closed a molluscan shellfish harvesting area in Area 3 and ordered a recall of all oysters harvested from that area since January 10, 2025. This includes shucked, frozen, breaded, post-harvest processed and oysters for the half-shell market due to norovirus-like illnesses reported from oysters consumed from that area. Area 3 is located east of Lake Borgne, north of Eloi Bay, and includes Chandeleur Islands and surrounding marshes.
All Louisiana oysters harvested outside of Area 3 as well as all other Louisiana seafood statewide is safe for consumption. Oyster Area 3 is only one of 30 Oyster Areas that are harvested along Louisiana’s coast.
Read MoreMardi Gras season is a busy time at Twin’s Burgers and Sweets, but this year, the holiday rush comes with a hefty price tag. Eggs, a staple ingredient at the bakery, have become significantly more expensive following the outbreak of avian flu across the U.S.
Owner Billy Guilbeaux said the increase in egg prices are hitting hard. “We go through cases of eggs every week,” Guilbeaux explained. “It is a big cost for us, eggs are an important ingredient in everything that we make.”
Read MoreThe Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center proudly launched its inaugural FAA Part 107 small, unmanned aircraft certification course on January 25, 2025 in Opelousas, La. This pioneering initiative aims to equip Louisiana youth with the skills and credentials necessary to legally operate drones for commercial purposes, opening doors to a range of professional opportunities in emerging industries.
Read MoreThe Southern University College of Agricultural, Human and Environmental Sciences (CAHES) will host its VET Explore 2025 event on April 26, 2025 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Maurice A. Edmond Livestock Arena, 14600 Scenic Hwy., Baton Rouge, LA 70807.
The event is free and open to 9th - 12th graders and undergraduate college students who are interested in becoming veterinarians, however, registration is required.
Read MoreFollowing the Senate Agriculture Committee’s bipartisan vote to advance the nomination of Brooke Rollins as the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the American Sugar Alliance issued the following statement on behalf of America’s sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers and workers.
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall today sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urging swift confirmation of Brooke Rollins as the next Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) after the Senate Agriculture Committee unanimously advanced her nomination.
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the 30-day tariff extension agreement reached between the United States and Mexico.
“Farm Bureau is encouraged that the United States and Mexico have agreed to delay the use of tariffs for the next month. Tariffs and tariff retaliation often hit farmers and ranchers hard, which make it more difficult for them pay their bills and grow the food America’s families rely on.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for February 2025, which are effective Feb. 3, 2025. USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.
Read MoreThe United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the resumption of cattle and bison imports from Mexico. Imports are scheduled to resume within the next several days.
To protect U.S. livestock and other animals, APHIS halted shipments of Mexican cattle and bison in November 2024 after a positive detection of New World screwworm (NWS) in southern Mexico.
Read MoreMarch 3, 2025, is the deadline to apply for ELAP, LFP and LIP for 2024 losses
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) updated three livestock disaster assistance programs to synchronize deadlines and streamline program delivery. The changes take effect for the 2024 program applications for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP), Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).
Read MoreToday is the Last Day to Apply for the Linda and Wayne Zaunbrecher Legacy Scholarship.
Linda and Wayne Zaunbrecher’s legacies have continued to empower the future of Louisiana agriculture.
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