The Southern University Ag Center Is Accepting Applications For Its Summer BAYOU Program

Applications are now open for the Southern University College of Agricultural, Human and Environmental Sciences Beginning Agricultural Youth Opportunities Unlimited (BAYOU) Summer Program.

The program targets rising high school seniors who have completed 11th grade and graduating seniors (incoming college freshmen) and provides first-hand knowledge about career opportunities in Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences, Business, or the natural sciences.

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SU Ag Centerdon molino
USDA Cuts Programs That Gave Schools Funds To Support Local Farmers for Student Meals

School nutritionists are raising alarms about the future of school meals for children, as recent and potential cuts by the Trump administration loom.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced cuts to two programs that allowed schools and food banks to acquire food from local farms, a move that experts warn could jeopardize vital connections between schools and local agricultural communities.

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Allie Shipley
Supporting Louisiana Farmers

Agriculture is a major industry in Louisiana, and I’m proud to be a champion of our farmers and ranchers in Washington D.C. I recently asked President Trump’s new Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, to enhance access to foreign markets for Louisiana rice exports. As a leading rice-producing region, Louisiana producers play a key role in growing the national food supply and strengthening our rural economy. Additionally, I recently had the honor of meeting with an outstanding group of young farmers from Louisiana while they were visiting Washington to advocate for pro-agriculture policies.

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Allie Shipley
Specialty Crop Growers can Apply for 2025 On-Farm Food Safety Certification Expenses

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds specialty crop producers that the application period for the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program for program year 2025 opened Jan. 1, 2025, and runs through Jan. 31, 2026. The program has been expanded to include medium-sized businesses in addition to small businesses. Eligible specialty crop growers can apply for assistance for expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification.

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Allie Shipley
2025/26 Crawfish Enterprise Budgets

Crawfish production enterprises, like other farm enterprises, require advanced planning to make production decisions that are likely to result in profit. The purpose of this report is to provide production costs estimates for crawfish enterprises. These estimates may assist producers in making decisions and obtaining adequate financing. Crawfish production and its associated costs should not be interpreted as averages for producers in the industry. The purpose of the cost projections is to provide guidelines whereby producers and others with an interest in crawfish production costs can make. 

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SU Ag Center’s 82nd Annual State Livestock and Poultry Show Recap

Nearly 100 youth exhibitors from throughout Louisiana gathered at the Maurice A. Edmond Livestock Arena from February 27 – March 1, 2025 for the Southern University Ag Center’s 82nd Annual State Livestock and Poultry Show.

The exhibitors showed around 130 breeds of cattle, hogs, sheep, lamb, goats, and poultry during the event. The winners took home cash prizes, premiums, banners, ribbons, rosettes, and trophy belt buckles.

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Crawfish Farmers Gearing Up For Excellent Season

It’s everyone’s favorite time of the year again... crawfish season!

“During crawfish season, we are harvesting about six days a week, six out of seven days. We have 2,000 traps across three ponds across this farm; it takes about six or seven hours a day to pick up all the traps, sack the crawfish, deliver the crawfish to a crawfish dock where they are distributed,” Burt Tietje, a local crawfish farmer, said.

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Aquaculturedon molino
Tariff Or No Tariff, Current Cotton Price Drops Not Surprising

Cotton found a rollercoaster ride on the week, slipping down to the 63-cent level that we forecast. But a bit of profit taking on the heels of a solid export sales report saw a triple-digit price increase back to the 65-66 cent prior lows. May fell to a low of 62.54 low at midweek and settled the week at 66.07. The rally then ran into the nine-day moving average in the 65.75 cent area on Thursday and could go no higher.

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