It has been a challenging time for farmers. First tariffs, and more recently, restrictions on ships in the Strait of Hormuz carrying fertilizer or the elements and compounds in it, have increased the cost of bringing crops to harvest.
LSU Ag Center’s Dr. Peters Egbedi said farmers have dealt with the increases in different ways. Some, anticipating price hikes, purchased extra fertilizer early.
Read MoreU.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development announced the certification of the Farmers Innovation Fund as a Rural Business Investment Company, expanding private-sector investment opportunities for innovative agricultural businesses serving rural America.
Read MoreState and local leaders joined ConnectLA and Volt Broadband today to celebrate the completion of a broadband expansion project connecting homes and businesses in Northeast Louisiana, marking another milestone in Louisiana's statewide effort to connect every community with reliable, affordable high-speed internet.
Read MoreThe predictions of a harvest increase over last year’s were undercut by the news of the arrival of a worrisome, invasive insect at the LSU AgCenter’s annual Sugar Research Station field day July 15.
At the outset of the day, AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Services is indicating a 5,000-to-6,000-acre increase over last year’s crop, with a clearer focus coming into view in August.
Read MoreCrop farmers continue to face elevated production costs, lower commodity prices and tight margins – with no relief on the horizon. AFBF analysis projects 2027 will mark a sixth year of negative returns over total costs for most major row crops. Specialty crop farmers are experiencing similar financial strain, facing expected below-breakeven prices and acreage reductions across major fruit, vegetable and tree nut sectors in 2026, even as limited public data make the full scale of losses difficult to measure. At the same time, fertilizer and fuel prices remain volatile, with the Iran conflict adding additional pressure to those markets.
Read MoreDr. Maxwell Amos Lea Jr., 79, "Mack," a resident of Zachary, LA, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 13, 2026.
Mack was an active member of the Louisiana Cattleman’s Association, Zachary Rotary Club, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and enjoyed volunteering weekly at the Zachary Food Pantry.
Read MoreWith optimism for the cattle business remaining strong, nearly 700 cattle producers from across the country gathered in Aurora, Colorado, this week for the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting. This event helps shape the future of the industry through grassroots policy development and discussions that will guide research, education and promotion efforts.
Read MoreSeveral 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.
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