Ben Becnel Sr., a well-known citrus and produce farmer in Plaquemines Parish, has died. He was 83.
Read MoreBehind Southern University’s greenhouse building, rows of tomatoes, peppers, flowers and other seasonal crops are helping reconnect people with agriculture one garden bed at a time.
The Southern University Ag Center officially opened its Demonstration Farm on July 1. Designed as a living classroom, the farm gives students, extension agents and community members hands-on experience growing food while demonstrating techniques that can be adapted for backyards, schools, churches and neighborhood gardens.
Read MoreFor the farmer who grew it, however, the economics are anything but simple. In June, the average retail price for uncooked, white long-grain rice was about $1.09 per pound nationwide and $1.21 per pound in the South, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Read MoreFarmers in south Louisiana could soon have access to federal funding aimed at tackling one of the region’s most persistent agricultural challenges: feral hogs.
Read MoreAs August recess began for the U.S. House of Representatives, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson requested a small roundtable style gathering of farmers back in his home district, Louisiana's 4th, with the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation and Louisiana commodity leaders.
Read MoreLouisiana rice harvest is picking up as weather conditions allow combines to move through fields, but lower prices and rising production costs are making it difficult for farmers to turn a profit.
Read MoreWith the U.S. House of Representatives in recess, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson returned home to Northwest Louisiana this week to host a roundtable with agricultural producers facing heavy economic pressure and competitive trade challenges.
Read MoreUSDA’s July World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, released July 10, projects U.S. rice production at its lowest level in nearly four decades. Total rice production is estimated at 153.3 million cwt, which would be the smallest crop since 1987.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry would like to clarify questions regarding the expiration date of Section 18 Crisis Exemption 26LA04 for selected imidacloprid products.
Read MoreThe USDA released the July Cattle Inventory and July Cattle on Feed Reports last week. Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the two reports offer a good snapshot of the current U.S. cattle industry.
Read MoreLouisiana sugarcane producers are expecting another strong crop, but the spread of the invasive pasture mealybug is becoming a growing concern for the industry.
Read MoreWhile Congress is in its August recess, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson spent part of his time back home listening to the people who help feed the country.
Johnson met with farmers and ranchers from across Louisiana at the ranch of Louisiana Farm Bureau First Vice-President Marty Wooldridge at his ranch here, where producers representing cattle, rice, sugarcane, timber and other commodities shared the challenges they said are threatening the future of agriculture.
Read MoreWith Louisiana’s heat index regularly climbing above 110 degrees, livestock owners are adjusting feeding schedules, increasing access to water and shade, and closely watching their animals for signs of heat stress.
Read MoreChip Nellinger of Blue Reef Agri-Marketing says the rally in soybeans is being driven by China demand and weather concerns.
Read MoreEntergy Louisiana’s proposed Cypress Harvest Solar project is drawing opposition from residents who say converting productive sugarcane fields along Highway 75 into a solar farm is inefficient and harmful to local agriculture.
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