About 300 black row crop farmers participated in the 2025 National Black Growers Council (NBGC) Annual Meeting here last week for two-and-a-half days of meetings, education, fellowship, and networking under the theme “Cultivating Connections, Strengthening Legacies,” and rice and the Rice Leadership Development Program were well represented throughout.
Read MoreFarmers and industry leaders gathered in New Orleans Dec. 7 to 9 for the 2025 USA Rice Outlook Conference. Morale was considerably high, despite the current state of the ag economy, as participants engaged in sessions to learn industry updates and emerging trends in rice production, with record-breaking attendance.
Read MoreSeveral rounds of precipitation moved through the Bayou State from Dec 3 to Dec 7 in association with low pressure off the Gulf Coast, persistent upper-level southwesterly flow from the Pacific, and a frontal passage on Dec 7.
Read More35% of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. That’s one out of every three bites of food eaten. Pollinators contribute $23 billion worth of agricultural products. However, across the country, commercial beekeeping operations reported an average loss of 62% in commercial honeybee colonies between June 2024 and February 2025.
Read MoreCurrently, rice is planted in the spring and harvested in the fall, leaving the fields empty in winter. But what if this non-productive period could be utilized to add a second, lucrative crop?
Read MoreAgricultural producers throughout Louisiana are embracing precision agriculture — a management strategy that relies on drones, sensors, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies to collect data and make informed decisions to improve crop yields.
Read MoreMerck Animal Health announced Dec. 4 that it has received conditional approval from the Food and Drug Administration for Exzolt Cattle-CA1 for the prevention and treatment of infections caused by New World screwworm larvae.
According to the company, Exzolt Cattle-CA1 is a fluralaner topical solution, one of the newest classes of parasiticides known as isoxazolines.
Read MoreAgricultural producers throughout Louisiana are embracing precision agriculture — a management strategy that relies on drones, sensors, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies to collect data and make informed decisions to improve crop yields.
Read MoreA delegation of Louisiana state representatives and state senators, led by Dr. Mike Strain, Louisiana commissioner of agriculture and forestry, visited here last week to learn more about the market and the opportunities it offers for U.S. agricultural exports. Rice featured prominently on the group’s agenda as one of the U.S. agricultural products that would benefit significantly from a U.S.–UK trade agreement aimed at leveling the playing field with competing origins.
Read MoreAn ag transportation specialist says low water conditions continue to impact the lower Mississippi River.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture is pushing farmers to prioritize soil health and more nutritious food. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced a $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program on Wednesday to support farmers adopting regenerative practices that improve soil health, protect water quality, and increase long-term productivity.
Read MoreThe expiration of enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will sharply raise health insurance costs in 2026, forcing painful tradeoffs that could slow farm growth, strain rural hospitals, and push some producers out of business altogether.
Read MoreAccording to the most recent report from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), U.S. sales of agricultural tractors declined 19.6% in November 2025, as compared to November 2024. AEM also found that combine sales decreased 35.2% during this time. This decrease follows a similar trend from October 2025, where reports also showed a 19.6% year-over-year decrease in overall tractor sales.
Read MoreLouisiana ranks highest in the nation for grocery cost burden, according to a new report from Consumer Affairs, a non-government research organization.
Read MoreFirefly populations have hit historically low numbers in Louisiana and other parts of the country where fireflies are native. The Town of Jean Lafitte has reached out to the LSU AgCenter to work on a plan to re-establish firefly populations in the Wetland Trace boardwalk trail. Aaron Ashbrook, the urban and peri-urban extension entomologist at the LSU AgCenter, says part of that plan involves planting 375 native plants within a 1,500 square-foot area.
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