At a White House roundtable with farmers, a rice producer’s candid message stole the spotlight. Meet Meryl Kennedy, the rice producer who had a powerful message for President Trump last week.
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Starting in 2026, farmers can take the Supplemental Coverage Option while also taking Agriculture Risk Coverage.
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Each year the LSU AgCenter tests both commercial and experimental soybean varieties entered in the state Official Variety Trials by private seed companies and university breeding programs. The LSU AgCenter also includes a reduced number of varieties in large-plot, on-farm demonstrations to increase the number of locations and environments in which varieties are evaluated. From these, a grower should choose several adapted to an individual farm. Information in the tables can help producers make these important decisions
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The 6th U.S. Rice Quality Symposium, a key part of the annual USA Rice Outlook Conference, was held here last week helping to ensure U.S. rice stays competitive by focusing on quality, innovation, and meeting specific market demands. This year’s event featured 20 rice varieties—many of which demonstrated the cooking characteristics preferred by the Latin American market.
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LSU AgCenter scientists are seeing promising results in their ongoing efforts to restore roseau cane stands in coastal Louisiana, a critical step in protecting the state’s fragile wetlands.
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Portuguese cotton often uses imported American cotton fiber.
Farmers want domestic processing for higher profit margins.
Bridge payments highlight need for supply chain independence
After a brief cool down on Friday, it looks like warmer weather is here to stay through Christmas and beyond. Parts of western Louisiana saw 1-2 inches of rain in the last week, but many areas are still running a deficit. The good news is, the D2, severe drought has been removed from all of Louisiana! The bad news is, I don’t see significant rain in the next 7 days.
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U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, wants to see more money collected from efforts to stop Chinese “seafood dumping” go directly to Louisiana seafood producers.
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Authors for the U.S. Weekly Drought Monitor (USDM) agree that drought remains an issue for much of the Bayou State but removed areas of D2 Drought ('Severe Drought') as of this week.
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Land-grant universities that conduct agricultural research, extension and education play a valuable role in supporting rural America and securing the nation’s food and fiber systems, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official told LSU AgCenter and Southern University Ag Center employees during a visit to Baton Rouge
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David Dunlow has grown cotton for 40 years, and he wants to continue.
Dunlow farms with his son, William, in Northampton County, N.C. The current economic outlook for cotton, he said, is the worst he has experienced. First thing the industry needs is legislation to stop its fiscal bleeding.
The cotton industry is responding and working to improve that grim outlook through several projects, initiatives and with legislation.
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U.S. ethanol production has reached record levels for the fourth time this year.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration says production averaged 1.031 million barrels per day last week, rising 26,000 from the week before that and 28,000 from a year ago.
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.
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Farmers 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.
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Several 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.
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