The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for September 2025, which are effective Sept. 1, 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 MoreSeptember is a time of many beginnings: the start of the new school year, football season kickoff, the return of pumpkin spice and cooler weather, and in the rice industry it is the beginning of National Rice Month (NRM). This year marks the 35th anniversary of the month-long national celebration.
Read MoreAfter Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated Louisiana and brought billions of dollars of damage to the state, lawmakers worked with researchers, engineers and others to create and implement new codes and laws in an attempt to prevent such serious damage happening again.
Read MoreThis report projects corn, soybeans, wheat, and rice futures prices for the United States for the third quarter (Q3) of 2025. Our analysis utilizes historical data on both cash prices (the price for immediate delivery) and futures prices (the price agreed upon for delivery at a future date).
We aggregate the daily futures prices into quarterly averages to simplify our analysis. Using this dataset, we train several machine learning models to predict futures prices for all four commodities.
Read MoreThe National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is concerned about the tough financial reality facing many farmers today. While NCGA maintains a persistent focus on driving additional sources of demand for U.S. corn in effort to improve the outlook, it is also analyzing input costs that remain near record highs. This is Part 2 of a three-part series highlighting the financial challenges facing corn farmers and a deeper look at the cost of growing corn.
Read MoreOver 175 million birds and 1,075 dairy herds have been affected by the current strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) since it began in February 2022. Detections of HPAI in both poultry and dairy cattle have slowed over the summer months with zero detections in commercial poultry flocks and just one dairy herd detection in the last 30 days. This Market Intel provides an update on the status of HPAI and what to watch for as the fall migration season approaches. Migratory birds moving south along flyways are the most likely to spread HPAI, which survives better in cool conditions, making fall a likely time for HPAI flare-ups.
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented Friday on a federal court decision that vacates a burdensome and unfair disaggregation labor rule, which is part of the 2023 Adverse Effect Wage Rate Rule.
Read MoreGet funding and other assistance for farming, firefighting, forestry, business recovery, and more.
Read MoreAs the U.S. rice harvest hits full speed in late August and early September, growers are facing the stark reality that U.S. rice prices are 37% lower than they were at the beginning of the 2024 season.
When Keith Glover, the president and CEO of Arkansas-based Producers Rice Mill, cited that number in a speech to the Little Rock Rotary Club in early August, some analysts questioned it. Glover stands by the percentage.
Read MoreCases of New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite that infests livestock and sometimes humans, have risen sharply in Mexico. According to Mexican government data cited by Reuters, as of August 17 there were 5,086 recorded infestations in animals — a 53 percent increase in just one month, with 649 active cases.
Read MoreAn ag economist says the increased trade tensions between the U.S. and China are starting to negatively impact soybean prices.
Read MoreWhen Hurricane Katrina hit the coast on Aug. 29 and Hurricane Rita followed on Sept. 24, much of south Louisiana sustained tremendous damage. The storms caused more than 1,100 deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health; displaced several communities; and led to $108 billion in damage, according to the National Weather Service. LSU AgCenter economists estimated that the state’s agricultural sectors sustained nearly $1.6 billion in losses from the storms.
Read MoreCase Farms has completed the acquisition of Foster Farms’ Farmerville, Louisiana complex, marking a strategic expansion of its poultry operations.
The deal covers the Farmerville Fresh Chicken, Prepared Foods and Protein Conversion facilities, along with a feed mill in Arcadia and a hatchery in Athens, Louisiana. Both companies said they will work to ensure a smooth transition for employees, customers and suppliers.
Read MoreIn the USDA Crop Progress report released on Aug. 25, 12 states reported soybeans dropping leaves. Here’s a closer look at the 12 states that reported for that crop growth stage.
Read MoreAn invasive insect pest of rice, the rice Delphacid (Tagosodes orizicolus), has been detected in Louisiana. No adverse impacts on rice have been observed in Louisiana as yet, but the detection is certainly a concern. The inset is a major pest of rice in Texas, particularly late-planted and second crop rice.
Specimens were first detected in July in Tensas Parish. Subsequent surveys detected an infestation in western Calcasieu Parish, but its distribution in the State remains largely unknown. It was not detected during initial observations in other areas of northeast or southwest Louisiana, but its occurrence in those are still being investigated. Producers in Calcasieu and Tensas Parishes should exercise caution to avoid additional spread. Rice straw or hay should not be moved out of these Parishes. Producers in other Parishes that detect possible Delphacid infestations should report the sites to LSU AgCenter extension agents.
More information on rice delphacid biology and management can be found on the LSU AgCenter website.
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