The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) thanked Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins following an announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that the agency would quickly be sending Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) payments to cattle producers who suffered losses from drought and wildfire.
Read MoreAnother rice sale to Iraq has hit the books, with 44,000 MT of U.S. long grain aiming to set sail later this fall. This brings the total U.S. rice sales to Iraq to 220,000 MT contracted for 2025 deliveries.
Iraq is consistently a top ten export market for U.S. rice and the second largest market for long grain milled rice, however, changes in financing there had caused delays in Iraq’s rice purchases for a time.
The Trump Administration recently appointed Craig McCain as the new State Executive Director (SED) for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Louisiana. McCain joined the Louisiana FSA team on May 5, 2025.
“When America’s farming communities prosper, the entire nation thrives. This new group of USDA appointees will ensure President Trump’s America First agenda is a reality in rural areas across the country. I am grateful for the leadership of these new state directors and look forward to their work reorienting the agency to put Farmers First again,” said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
Read MoreAccording to the National Agricultural Statistics Service in Louisiana, there were 5.5 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Sunday, May 25, 2025. Topsoil moisture supplies were 0 percent very short, 11 percent short, 70 percent adequate, and 19 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were 0 percent very short, 8 percent short, 81 percent adequate, and 11 percent surplus.
Read MoreWarm weather is upon us, and so is grass mowing season. The Childhood Agricultural Safety Network (CASN) urges parents and other supervising adults to ensure that young people are “Mow Ready” before tackling this potentially hazardous job.
Nearly 10,000 child/youth lawn mower injuries occur in the United States annually, with approximately 5 percent resulting in amputation.
Read MoreLouisiana farmers and ranchers will not have to add meters to water wells thanks to amendments offered by Senator Bob Hensgens, author of a bill to restructure the Department of Natural Resources and rename it the Department of Conservation and Energy.
Staff at Louisiana Farm Bureau discovered the provisions in Senate Bill 244 last week dealing with water regulation that did not exempt agriculture from those regulations.
Read MoreRegistration has opened for the Louisiana Forestry Association 78th annual convention, Aug. 19-21, 2025, at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino Resort in Lake Charles.
This year's theme is "Focus on Forestry: The Future and Adapting to Change" and begins with the President's Reception on Tuesday, Aug. 19. Wednesday, Aug. 20 will be filled with fellowship includes a great slate of speakers.
Read MoreU.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced she will exercise the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) authority to provide a much-needed funding increase of $14.5 million in reimbursements to states for meat and poultry inspection programs.
“This is much welcome news. This has been an issue and major concern for the states. I thank the Trump Administration for funding this critical work to ensure the safety of our meat and poultry products for the American people,” said Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain.
Read MoreThe U.S. cotton industry is disappointed with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission’s report.
In a statement issued May 22, the National Cotton Council notes that, for decades, the Environmental Protection Agency has subjected pesticides to rigorous review and eliminated those that were deemed unsafe. Current products have been tested and re-tested to protect the farmer, the environment, and the consumer.
Read MoreThe FY 2025 grant application period is open. Applications are due on June 27, 2025. Applications received after the due date will be subject to the AMS' - Policy on Late Applications. For any questions related to FMPP, contact FMLFPPgrants@usda.gov.
Read MoreHouse Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) celebrated the House passage of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and Louisiana leaders issued the following statements praising the legislation:
“President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill unleashes Louisiana energy and increases the cap on GOMESA from $500 to $650 million/ year. It lowers taxes for Louisiana families and allows us to properly secure the border. It’s exactly why Louisiana voted for President Trump, and Speaker Johnson and Majority Leader Scalise did a great job getting it to the finish line—delivering win after win for Louisiana," said Governor Jeff Landry.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Drought Team (LDT), in coordination with the national USDM authors, agreed to maintain the abnormally-dry/drought-free status across the entire state of Louisiana. This marks the second consecutive week that the USDM depiction has shown that status.
Summer is arriving in Louisiana with temperatures that reached the mid-90°s at some locations during the 7-day monitoring period.
Read MoreHouse Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) issued the following statement after the release of the MAHA Commission initial assessment:
“We share President Trump’s vision for a healthier nation; however, we are troubled by the initial findings of the MAHA Commission Assessment and their impact on America’s farmers and ranchers.
Read MoreCrawfish is a Louisiana staple. To find out why locals are so passionate about these little crustaceans, I stopped by the Third Annual City of Lights Crawfish Boil Cookoff in Natchitoches. What I discovered was more than just a love for the “mudbugs” it was a celebration of flavor, community, and tradition.
Read MoreWhen Aaron Ashbrook was an undergraduate in college, he spent a summer working on Mackinac Island, Michigan. On the second-to-last day of his visit, he hung up some clothes to dry and later found that a bat made its way into his room and was residing in his clothes.
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