In 1803, the United States completed one of the most important land acquisitions in history: the Louisiana Purchase. For just $15 million, approximately $18 per square mile, the U.S. acquired a vast territory from France. This purchase would not only expand the nation geographically but also profoundly impact the future of American agriculture.
Read MoreThe 2025 USA Rice Outlook Conference General Session started local and expanded into the distant future. It began with greetings from the 88th International Rice Festival Queen Ansley Dawson and Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation President Richard Fontentot who both spoke about the importance of the rice industry, thanked attendees for joining them, and, of course, invited everyone back to the 89th International Rice Festival in Crowley, Louisiana, next October.
Read MoreRylee Symons, Pearl River, La., has earned the National Junior Angus Association’s (NJAA) Bronze award, according to Caitlyn Brandt, events and junior activities director of the American Angus Association® in Saint Joseph, Mo.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter will hold its third annual Louisiana Agricultural Outlook Forum Jan. 22.
The free event will be held at the State Evacuation Shelter, 8125 U.S. Highway 71, south of Alexandria. Doors will open for registration at 8:30 a.m. The program will begin shortly thereafter and run until 2 p.m. with a break for a provided lunch.
Read MoreUnveiling a US $ 12-billion farm aid package at the White House a day ago on December 8, US president Donald Trump further raised the tariff heat on India on the topic of rice exports.
Trump’s aid package is aimed at helping farmers who are impacted by low crop prices.
Read MoreCongresswoman Julia Letlow released the following statement on President Trump’s announcement of $12 billion in support for farmers affected by recent economic and trade disruptions. Letlow introduced legislation in June that would equip the Trump Administration to support farmers suffering from trade-related losses.
Read MoreState and local officials, alongside Cajun Broadband, today announced the completion of a broadband deployment project in Vermilion Parish, connecting businesses in some of the parish’s largest sectors, including agriculture, healthcare and manufacturing, and delivering access to households in places like Gueydan and Erath.
Read MoreThe nearby March contract, as expected, closed the week in search of the expiring December contract’s 62-64 cent level. The contract made its first weekly close below 64 cents, closing at 63.91 cents. It fell below the 10-day trading range, losing 78 points on the week.
Read MoreCorn hybrid performance is annually evaluated in official hybrid trials (OHTs) by LSU AgCenter researchers to provide Louisiana farmers, seedsmen, county agents and consultants with unbiased performance data for commercial corn hybrids submitted for evaluation by private companies. Selection of superior hybrids that are well adapted for a given region is essential for maximizing yield and profit.
Read MoreFor more than four decades, Ronnie Levy has been a steadfast presence in Louisiana agriculture, shaping its growth and guiding its future. Levy joined the LSU AgCenter in 1979, and throughout that time, he worked in various roles including county agent; soybean, corn and grain sorghum specialist; and interim regional director for the Central Region. But it is his work in rice that will crown his career.
Read MoreMonday afternoon, President Donald Trump and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program which will provide $11 billion to U.S. row crop farmers, including rice, as an economic bridge until next year’s One Big Beautiful Bill investments kick in through the Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs.
Former USA Rice Millers’ Association Chair and CEO of Louisiana-based Kennedy Rice Mill Meryl Kennedy Farr was selected to provide remarks as part of a Cabinet Room press conference.
Read MoreThe 2025 USA Rice Outlook Conference, the largest rice conference in North America, returned to the Crescent City this week with a grand opening reception welcoming farmers, millers, merchants, end-users, exporters, academics, government officials, and special guests.
Read MoreCorn acreage increased while cotton and soybean acres declined.
In Louisiana, corn acres increased by 330,000 acres (+75%) from 2024 to 2025. Most producers favored corn over cotton (and, to a lesser extent, soybeans) due to grain price competitiveness. Overall, yields were near the previous four-year average of 176 bushels per acre.
Read MorePresident Donald J. Trump alongside U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (AR), Senator Deb Fischer (NE), Senator John Hoeven (ND), Representative Austin Scott (GA), and farmers from Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make $12 billion available in one time bridge payments to American farmers in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs that are still impacting farmers following four years of disastrous Biden Administration policies that resulted in record high input prices and zero new trade deals. These bridge payments are intended in part to aid farmers until historic investments from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), including reference prices which are set to increase between 10-21% for major covered commodities such as soybeans, corn, and wheat and will reach eligible farmers on October 1, 2026.
Read MoreThe Trump administration announced $12 billion in one-time payments to farmers in the wake of this year's tariff hikes on Monday, primarily targeting farmers who grow crops such as soybeans and corn.
The move was outlined during a White House roundtable event, featuring farmers affected as well as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
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