The latest crop progress report from USDA, out Monday afternoon and covering the week through August 16, showed corn and soybean quality ratings slightly declined, which matched analysts’ expectations. The winter wheat harvest is nearly complete, meantime, as the spring wheat harvest closes in on the halfway mark.
Read MoreThe weather has been hot and dry lately for most of Louisiana, and as a result, there is a burn ban for several parishes across the state.
Read MoreA burn ban is now in effect across Webster Parish due to drought conditions, very high fire danger, and extreme temperatures and heat indices.
Read MoreLDWF closed the private recreational Red Snapper season in state and federal waters off the Louisiana coast earlier this month, but there is a hope there will be another Red Snapper fishing opportunity again this summer. LDWF assistant secretary Ryan Montague says the season had to close because Louisiana is approaching its statewide quota, but LA creel is still counting what was caught during the first week of August.
Read MoreThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authorized the construction of the Louisiana International Terminal on Monday. The project plans to redefine Gulf Coast trade capacity, strengthening the U.S. supply chain and accelerating American manufacturing and commerce.
Read MoreReleased August 17, 2026, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Read MoreChina dominated new-crop U.S. soybean buying last week, providing an important demand signal for growers approaching harvest. USDA reports 2026/27 soybean sales reached about 64.7 million bushels, with China purchasing roughly 53.1 million bushels.
Read MoreCattle producers know everything there is to know about their cows: what they eat, where they lay, where the little white mark on their hip is and even who their grandmother was. But once an animal leaves the ranch and enters the beef supply chain, cattle producers are left in the dark.
Read MoreMore farmers are opting to repair old tractors, combines and other machinery instead of buying new upgrades. A tough farm economy and historically-high equipment prices are at least partly to blame.
Read MoreSugarcane diseases are managed primarily through varietal resistance, which is an inherent trait that is selected by breeders with the help of plant pathologists. Resistance can be described as the ability that a variety has to fight diseases. Our sugarcane varieties in Louisiana were selected over the years to resist diseases, however, sometimes pathogens change and are able to overcome these resistant traits. Additionally, some of our varieties cannot completely resist diseases, therefore, we need to manage these diseases in an integrated way, by incorporating new management strategies in our farms.
Read MoreIn mid-June, Avoyelles Parish saw some of the most destructive flooding the parish has ever faced following Tropical Storm Arthur. In its aftermath, farmers are reaping whatever harvest they can, however meager.
Farmers we spoke to say that hundreds of acres of crops were completely unsavable. Soybeans may have looked green and healthy on the outside, but were rendered unusable on the inside by floodwaters.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Louisiana is hosting a State Technical Committee meeting on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at the Louisiana State Office, Building B at 3727 Government Street in Alexandria, LA.
State Technical Committees serve in an advisory capacity to NRCS and other USDA agencies on the implementation of the natural resources conservation provisions of Farm Bill legislation.
Read MoreWhen it comes to corn and soybeans, states such as Illinois and Iowa are certain to be production juggernauts season after season. The sheer number of acres dedicated to these crops means that all eyes -- and the markets -- tend to focus their attention on these states, including the 2026 DTN Digital Yield Tour.
Yet, living on the buckle of the Corn Belt isn't a prerequisite for growing successful, and often high-yielding, crops, as this year's tour estimates reveal.
Read MoreSmith Family Farms is using rising beef prices and supply challenges as an opportunity to help local families in need.
The farm partnered with several local restaurants in July to support the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana. For every burger purchased at Gullo's, Mae & Co. or Marilynn's Place during the promotion, Smith Family Farms donated hamburger meat to the food bank. The total came out to about 500 pounds of beef.
Read MoreCongressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) announced that he will hold a town hall meeting in New Iberia on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at Magnolia Square. Congressman Higgins will answer questions and discuss his work in Congress and issues facing South Louisiana. The event is open to the public.
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