House Delays Farm Bill Vote After Republican Rift
House Republican leadership pulled the farm bill from consideration on the floor Wednesday after division within the conference, sources told NOTUS.
The move is a major setback for the bill, which leaders had hoped to pass this week. The farm bill will now head back to the Rules Committee, which will have another chance to include many of the Republican-backed amendments it originally rejected.
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Supreme Court Voids Majority Black Congressional District in Louisiana, Boosting Republican Chances
The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down Louisiana’s second majority Black congressional district in a decision that could open the door for Republican-led states to eliminate Black and Latino electoral districts that tend to favor Democrats and affect the balance of power in Congress.
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Louisiana Diesel Prices Surpass $5 a Gallon as Iran War Drives Fuel Costs Up
As the war in Iran rages on, gas prices in the United States hit a four-year high, hitting farmers and truckers the hardest. Since the war started, the cost of diesel has risen by 45 cents, and the longer the war goes on, the more likely it is that the farmers' diesel reserves will run out.
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Cease-Fire Has Not Lowered Fertilizer Prices
A cease-fire in the Middle East has helped lower crude oil prices, but U.S. farmers are still facing sharply higher nitrogen fertilizer costs as global shipping disruptions continue, according to a University of Illinois analysis.
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Pesticide Provision Stalls Farm Bill Discussion
The director of the Gardner Agricultural Policy Program at the University of Illinois says pesticides have become a sticking point in farm bill negotiations.
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Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Help Forest Landowners Recover and Replant After Natural Disasters
The Forest Landowners Association (FLA) welcomed bipartisan, bicameral legislation introduced yesterday in the U.S. House (H.R. 8538) and to be introduced today in the Senate that would help private forest landowners recover reforestation costs more quickly after natural disasters. FLA says current tax rules slow down replanting after major losses.
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Soybean Crops Have Emerged in 10 Key States, USDA Reports
According to the USDA’s latest Crop Progress report published Monday, 8% of the U.S. soybean crop has emerged. This is 7 points higher than the five-year average. According to the March 31 Prospective Plantings report, U.S. farmers are expected to plant 84.7 million acres of soybeans this season.
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Louisiana Soybean Plantings Pick Up as Fertilizer Costs Shift Acreage Away from Corn
Louisiana soybean farmers are moving quickly to get this year’s crop planted during a key window for yield potential.
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Current USDA Natural Disaster Designation Areas in Louisiana
Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.
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New EPA Exemption offers Hope For Rice Delphacid Control This Season
Rice delphacid struck hard and fast in 2025 amid an already challenging season. The tiny leafhoppers struck midseason, and farmers had no strategy for control, with delphacid being one of the few insects a pyrethroid application incites rather than ignites.
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Specialty Crop Block Grant Deadline Is Today
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) is now accepting applications for the 2026 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), funded through the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS).
Applications must be received no later than the close of business (4:30 p.m.) Thursday, April 30, 2026.
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Crawfish Festival Returns to Breaux Bridge for 2026
The Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival is back for 2026 and organizers say this year is expected to be bigger and better than ever.
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Ted Nugent Backs Louisiana Bill to Lift ‘Zombie’ Deer Baiting Bans
Louisiana moved closer to lifting "zombie" deer feeding bans associated with chronic wasting disease with a bill supported by Hunter Nation and rock legend turned political activist Ted Nugent.
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NOLA Fertilizer Exports Surge as High Price Squeezes Farmers
Tensions in the Middle East disrupting global energy markets are driving up fertilizer prices, creating new pressures for Louisiana farmers while boosting export demand through the state's ports.
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USDA Announces $52 Million To Boost Public Access To Private Lands For Hunting And Fishing
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing $52 million to help state and tribal governments encourage private landowners to allow public access to their land for hunting, fishing and other wildlife-dependent recreation through the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP). USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications through June 8, 2026 on Grants.gov for this program that benefits landowners and the public.
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