Crop Market Report for Corn, Soybeans, Rice, and Cotton: May, 2025

The 2025/26 U.S. corn outlook is for record supplies and total use, and higher ending stocks. The corn crop is projected at 15.8 billion bushels, up 6 percent from a year ago on increases to both area and yield. Planted area of 95.3 million acres if realized would be the highest in over a decade. The yield projection of 181.0 bushels per acre is based on a weather-adjusted trend assuming normal planting progress and summer growing season weather.

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Seesaw Cotton Pricing Continues

The year 1965 gave us the song “Catch Us if You Can.” Reference to those lyrics fits the scenario of a market continuing higher and higher. Maybe just the mention of it will seed a price jump in the market.

Yet, for now, we must be content with a continuation of a market just backing and filling, headed nowhere and going nowhere.

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Louisiana Crop Progress And Condition: May 12, 2025

According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service in Louisiana, there were 2.0 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Sunday, May 11, 2025. Topsoil moisture supplies were 0 percent very short, 6 percent short, 49 percent adequate, and 45 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were 0 percent very short, 2 percent short, 59 percent adequate, and 39 percent surplus.

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Rice Field Days Calendar

As we approach mid-May, most rice growers have their 2025 rice crop in the ground. Overall, reports have this year’s crop looking fairly decent but inclement weather, including severe storms and flooding in some areas of the south over the last few weeks, continues to cause delays in getting the last few acres in the ground. 

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Al Scramuzza, Seafood City Owner and Iconic Pitchman, Dead at 97

Al Scramuzza, the flamboyant seafood pioneer known as the “Crawfish King” who helped make the mudbug a staple of Louisiana cuisine, died Sunday at his home in Metairie after a brief illness. He was 97.

Scramuzza was the founder of Seafood City, a sprawling seafood market that once took up an entire city block on North Broad Street in Mid-City and became one of the largest seafood operations in the Gulf South.

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This 'Double Agent' Retired After 41 Years with Louisiana Sea Grant and LSU AgCenter

Mark Shirley, a Louisiana Sea Grant and LSU AgCenter marine extension agent, retired in March after 41 years of service. He is known for many things during his career, but most notably, he developed Marsh Maneuvers — established in 1989 as an immersive education program for 4-H students to experience Louisiana's coast. The program motivates students toward studying coastal ecology and biological sciences.

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USDA Forecasts Winter Wheat Production Up 2% in 2025

U.S. farmers are expected to produce 1.38 billion bushels of winter wheat this year, according to the Crop Production report released today by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). In NASS’s first winter wheat production forecast for 2025, production is expected to increase 2% from 2024. As of May 1, the U.S. yield is expected to average 53.7 bushels per acre, up 2.0 bushels from last year’s average of 51.7 bushels per acre.

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USDA to Open General and Continuous Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment for 2025

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced several Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollment opportunities for agricultural producers and landowners. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for both the General and Continuous CRP beginning today through June 6, 2025.  

CRP, USDA’s flagship conservation program, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. For four decades, CRP has provided financial and technical support to agricultural producers and landowners who place unproductive or marginal cropland under contract for 10-15 years and who agree to voluntarily convert the land to beneficial vegetative cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and support wildlife habitat.

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USDAAvery Davidson
LSU AgCenter Launches Healthy Families Produce Prescription Program To Boost Food Access, Nugtrition

A produce prescription program is putting fresh fruits and vegetables within reach for families in rural Louisiana.

The Healthy Families Produce Prescription (HFPRx) program — developed through a partnership of the LSU AgCenter’s High Obesity Program (HOP), Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign and About Fresh — is now available in Assumption, Terrebonne, Winn, Morehouse and Claiborne parishes.

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NCBA Stands With USDA On Border Closure Decision

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced support for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to close the U.S. southern border to shipments of cattle, bison, and horses, due to the continued spread of New World screwworm beyond the phytosanitary border put in place to stop its advance. Today’s announcement is the latest move to halt the spread of this invasive pest that puts the entire U.S. livestock industry at risk. 

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USDA-FSA Youth Loans

Summer break is just around the corner. If you’re involved in 4-H or FFA or Community Club and need help financing your ag income producing project, reach out to your local FSA office to apply. Youth loans are for qualified applicants ages of 10-21. The maximum loan amount is $10,000 with a term of up to seven years.

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