Several years of high inflation and low commodity prices, coupled with volatile production costs, are continuing to squeeze farmers financially. These forces are projected to hit farmers with $32 billion in losses for the major row crops in 2027 after a projected loss of $31 billion in 2026. Fruit, vegetable, nut and other specialty crop farmers faced billions of dollars in losses in 2025, with difficult market conditions continuing throughout 2026.
Read MoreHouse Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a budget framework for a roughly $95 billion reconciliation package that would provide funding for defense, farm aid and state efforts to implement voter ID requirements in elections.
The resolution marks the opening salvo in Republicans’ effort to use the budget reconciliation process one final time to advance key GOP priorities while they still control both chambers of Congress and the White House.
Read MoreIt looks like Louisiana is about to get a taste of the dog days of summer. Drier air is moving in as an upper level low drifts westward over Texas, and brings our organized rain threat along with it. Dangerous flooding will impact parts of the Texas Hill Country toward the Rio Grande River. For us, it'll be all about how hot things get. I expect highs to get close to 100 over a good chunk of Louisiana by early next week.
Read MoreThe International Rice Festival has named Jarrod Breaux its 2026 Farmer of the Year, an honor recognizing his contributions to one of Acadiana's most important industries.
Breaux describes farming as something that's always been there. Though he comes from a family with roots in agriculture, he built his operation independently after his father and grandparents left the industry.
Read MoreEarlier this week, ADM Rice confirmed the sale to Al Awees of two additional vessels of U.S. long grain milled rice totaling 88,000 metric tons. The shipments are scheduled to be loaded in September and November, providing a critical boost for U.S. long grain rice exports and bringing additional certainty to the market as the industry begins the 2026 harvest.
Read MoreIn a work shed surrounded by a cow pasture in an area of New Iberia where well-manicured lawns share the landscape with sugarcane fields, 4-H youth are doing something special. Despite the setting, these 4-H’ers are not working on a traditional agriculture project. They are designing and building robots destined for competition.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) is now accepting nominations for county committee members and encourages all farmers, ranchers, and FSA program participants to take part in the Name County Committee nomination process. County committee members make important decisions about how Federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2026 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 3, 2026.
Read MoreLouisiana is on track to become the leading U.S. state for renewable diesel (RD) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, supported by expanding carbon capture infrastructure and favourable permitting for carbon storage projects, according to Industrial Info Resources.
Read MoreSt. Francisville is widely celebrated for its oak-canopied roads and deep-rooted heritage. At the heart of this community lies one of its most storied landmarks: The Myrtles. Long known for its fascinating history and culture, the historic plantation is drawing in visitors with a vibrant new attraction that celebrates local commerce and agriculture — its seasonal farmers market.
Read MoreIf you've noticed higher prices for ground beef at the grocery store, you're not alone. Consumers across the country are paying more at the meat counter due to shrinking cattle supplies and ongoing industry concerns continue to drive up costs.
KTBS Chief Meteorologist Patrick Dennis recently visited Smith Family Farms in Bossier City to learn more about the factors affecting the beef market.
Read MoreFloodwaters that swept through Avoyelles and St. Landry parishes devastated hay fields, leaving farmers to contend with rotting crops, mounting disposal costs, and a hay shortage that could strain cattle producers across the region.
The rain fell hardest in Avoyelles Parish, but as water moved south, farmers in northern St. Landry Parish watched fields, roads, and yards change by the day.
Read MoreLouisiana sugarcane producers celebrated a record year in 2025, but a year of home runs was inevitably followed by one of Mother Nature’s curveballs — in this case, a never-before-seen invasive pest that not only turns plants and saps sugar productivity but also infects plant tissue with a virus that could change its genetic makeup.
Read MoreSymbiotic relationships come in many harmless forms throughout nature: clownfish and anemones, whales and barnacles, and bees and flowers to name a few. Two LSU AgCenter scientists are studying how to use symbiosis to potentially control a dangerous pest that is anything but harmless — the New World screwworm.
Read MoreThe U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol today announced that 2.34 million planted acres now provide field-level data through the program for the 2026 crop year, representing nearly one in four of the 9.85 million total U.S. cotton acres planted this season.
This reflects the continued commitment of U.S. cotton growers to responsible production, even as they navigate a challenging economic landscape. Despite facing fluctuating input costs, unpredictable weather, and shifting market dynamics, growers are choosing to formalize and voluntarily provide data on their sustainability practices.
Read MoreMeta announced it is committing more than $50 billion to its Richland Parish Data Center project, expanding the campus to nearly 10 million square feet and 5 gigawatts of IT capacity. Home to Hyperion, the company’s largest AI training cluster, the Northeast Louisiana facility will be the largest in Meta’s global fleet and one of the largest data centers ever built.
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