Agriculture pumped $11.4 billion into the Louisiana economy in 2012, according to the LSU AgCenter. That's up 6.5% compared to 2011 and represents a record high in the 35 years the AgCenter has been reporting the numbers. High prices and record yields for corn and soybeans were the main drivers of the new high, says AgCenter economist John Westra. Drought conditions in other parts of the country pushed up prices for feed grains, which are mostly corn. The fisheries industry saw a 40% increase in "landings" from 2010 to 2011; unlike other numbers in the AgCenter report, there's a one-year lag time on fisheries statistics because of how the data is collected, reflecting a recovery from the BP oil spill of 2010. "We don't know what the long-term impacts from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill may be," Westra says. "Only time will tell." About 1.4 million sacks of oysters were collected in 2011, a big jump from 2010 but still short of the 1.9 million sacks harvested in 2009. A more detailed...
Gov. Bobby Jindal joined officials from the Farmers Rice Milling Co. today to announce a $13.4 million expansion and modernization of the company's rice mill in eastern Calcasieu Parish. The 55,000-square-foot expansion of the mill's clean rice packaging and distribution facility will retain 87 jobs, LED says. The company, a division of The Powell Group, operates the largest rice mill in Louisiana. Overall, the company employs more than 125 workers in the rice mill and related facilities in and around Lake Charles. The company also employs an additional 25 people at its headquarters in Baton Rouge. To secure the project, LED says it offered the company a "competitive incentive package," including a Modernization Tax Credit of $425,000 payable over five years. The company is also expected to utilize the Industrial Tax Exemption Program, says LED, which has more on the expansion announcement
Farmers are disappointed that Congress couldn't pass a new farm bill in 2012 and instead extended the 2008 farm bill, which technically expired in September, says the LSU AgCenter. Mike Salassi, an economist at the AgCenter, says the extension puts farmers in a difficult position as they make planting decisions for this year. "We have enough risk in crop production and agriculture, and having so much uncertainty about the farm program just adds to that," Salassi says. The extension was passed along with the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, legislation aimed at avoiding the so-called fiscal cliff. The legislation extends current commodity programs including direct payments, which benefit many of Louisiana's row crop farmers. "Last fall up through December, when the House and Senate were putting together a new farm bill proposal, none of those included direct payments," Salassi says. "All of them wanted to get rid of it." The bill extension also left out some conservation programs...
Gulf of Mexico shrimpers have filed petitions with the federal government seeking relief from subsidized shrimp imports, according to a report on nola.com. The move comes several weeks after Gulf shrimpers hailed a House bill that included a provision to increase U.S. Customs and Border Protection's powers to combat illegal imports. The Coalition of Gulf Shrimp Industries late last week filed the petitions, which seek "countervailing duties"—duties imposed to offset subsidies by foreign governments—on shrimp from China, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The coalition states that the duties are needed to counteract the unfair trade advantages currently held by these countries. The petitions will be investigated by the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce. To read the complete story, click here.
Despite setbacks such as this year's drought in the Midwest and Hurricane Isaac, Louisiana farmers had a productive year in 2012, according to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. Many of the state's major commodities saw record yields and historically high prices, with export markets continuing to grow. The Louisiana agriculture industry's estimated value was nearly $11 billion in 2011. With high prices and yields, that number is expected to increase in 2012 once it is calculated, and continue to improve in the year ahead. "In 2013, we look forward to strong commodity prices and expanding markets," says LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain. Despite the good news for the state's farmers, low river levels continue to be a threat to agriculture, not just in Louisiana but nationwide. Strain says LDAF is working with the state's congressional delegation to encourage the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge and maintain the nation's waterways, ports, and inland locks.
Oysters and prunes may not have a lot in common, but in LSU AgCenter food engineer Subramaniam Sathivel's lab, chefs are working with both to develop new food products. Sathivel specializes in cryopreservation and shelf stabilization of foods. He's partnering with Motivatit Seafoods of Houma to help the company produce a new oyster-and-spinach ravioli product, with a view to making it available in grocery stores by February. Motivatit, which developed a high-pressure process for killing a bacteria that can be found in raw oysters, credits the freezing and packaging work at the food business incubator with ensuring their product is fresh and safe to consume. Sathivel is also working with California-based Sunsweet on flavor enhancement and shelf-life extension for some of that company's dried fruit products, including prunes. Specifically, Sathivel is helping Sunsweet develop a new process for reducing water activity in its products to slow bacterial growth. The AgCenter has more...
Despite drought conditions and a hurricane, 2012 was an excellent year for Louisiana farmers, reports the LSU AgCenter, with many of the state's major commodities seeing record yields and historically high prices. AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry says good production practices and a lot of luck with precipitation helped. "We were relatively dry overall. But in many cases, we got just enough rain to keep the crops growing," Guidry says. Corn, soybeans, rice, cotton and grain sorghum all set yield records this year. And while farmers are still harvesting the state's sugarcane crop, the reported yields so far are at record levels. Moreover, drought in other parts of the country kept prices high for corn, soybeans, grain sorghum and wheat throughout the year. Though prices have moderated from highs earlier this year, when the national drought was headline news, Guidry expects them to remain strong. The agriculture industry in Louisiana was worth an estimated $6 billion in 2011. With high...
Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain will borrow up to $7 million to take control of a defunct sugar cane mill in southwest Louisiana that was built with state tax dollars and only operational for 90 days. Strain received approval today from the Bond Commission to borrow the money through a bond sale and repay it over 10 years. The mill is teetering on default of its debt payments. Strain says if the state doesn't buy out the mill, a bank would take over the property and the state agriculture department wouldn't be able to sell it or lease it to recoup some of its investment. The borrowing plan "is our best course of action. Failing to do so will result in foreclosure and seizure of assets," Strain says. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry has spent $78 million to build and maintain the Lacassine mill constructed during the tenure of Strain's predecessor, Bob Odom. Strain says it was appraised for less than $7 million. The Associated Press has the full story
About 300 farmers, nonprofit organizations, policy-makers, school officials and others are expected at a daylong food access summit on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. LSU AgCenter nutritionist Annrose Guarino says organizers hope to improve communication among people who produce food and those who distribute it. She says the summit will include sessions on school and community gardens, food stamps and farmers markets, use of local foods in school lunch programs, developing local food policy councils, farm-to-school programs, and implementing a hunger-free Louisiana plan. Speakers will include state Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain; U.S. Department of Agriculture regional administrator Bill Ludwig; state Rep. Scott Simon, whose bill established a state Sustainable Local Food Policy Council; and LSU AgCenter Vice Chancellor Paul Coreil. The daylong summit will begin at 9:30 a.m. and wrap up at 4:30 p.m. Cost to attend is $26. You can check out a...
David Bollich says a $130 million Louis Dreyfus Commodities project under construction at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge in Port Allen will have a greater beneficial impact on agriculture in south and central Louisiana than anything that has happened since he was a farmer. Bollich used to be a farmer in St. Landry Parish. Rice, soybeans and crawfish, he says. "If you do rice, you gotta have a few crawfish ponds on the side," he says. He works for Louis Dreyfus now, so he's biased, but he's not the only one who's excited about changes at the port. The new-and-improved grain elevator, slated to open next year, will connect Louisiana farmers with foreign markets, which could be worth millions to growers—thereby boosting the regional economy—while luring more ships to the port. "If you ask any grain farmer in this area," says Mike Danna with the Louisiana Farm Bureau, "I think they're fired up." Basically, all the technology at the elevator facility that moves...
Hurricane Isaac's damage to Louisiana agriculture was originally estimated at about $100 million. It flatted sugar cane, damaged soybeans and disturbed rice fields and other crops. But if the weather cooperates between now and harvest, the overall outcome could be better than expected, said LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry, who described the state as being “fairly lucky” after all.
Crabs are one of the most delicious critters on earth. Their sweet and delicate meat is often imitated, but that stuff is for the birds. I'll take my crab meat in lump form or boiled freshly for me in the shell. I have fond memories of crabs including catching them at the beach and winning an eating competition in Alaska. You really just can't go wrong with crabs!
Hurricane Isaac could wreck what was shaping up to be an excellent year for Louisiana agriculture. The LSU AgCenter says the storm threatens what remains of the state's record corn harvest, which—unlike most drought-starved crops across the country—started earlier than normal this year and has been moving rapidly. The drought has, however, slowed distribution of some of Louisiana's crops; lower water levels of the Mississippi River have forced barges to load only half or two-thirds full, says LSU AgCenter feed grain and cotton specialist John Kruse. He says the harvest would have been done by now if not for transportation problems, and he estimates that around one-third of the 560,000-acre crop is still in the field. With the storm approaching, Kruse says farmers are today scrambling to get the rest of the crop in. "Everyone who has somewhere to put corn is out cutting it," he says. Corn prices are currently high, around $8 a bushel, because of the shortages brought on by...
All of us who follow farmers and farmers markets were saddened to learn of the death earlier this month of Corwith Davis, III, the 35-year-old proprietor of Inglewood Farm, an organic operation just south of Alexandria. Davis, a married father of two, had been hiking in North Carolina when he died unexpectedly. Many of you who shop routinely at the Red Stick Farmers Market had spoken to him and his enthusiastic young staff at their lush organic produce booth. They often came to the Thursday market, and were one of the few organic growers across the state.
The Louisiana Farm Bureau Radio Network is merging its farm broadcasting operations—which air agricultural news stories and market updates to affiliated radio stations in Louisiana and Mississippi—with the Louisiana Radio Network's agrinews division, which provides a similar service. The new combined entity, called the Louisiana Farm Bureau Agrinews Radio Network, will have 42 affiliates in the two states and will represent the largest consolidation of Louisiana stations that carry farm news. "They have a network that does agricultural news, and we have one, so it only makes sense to combine our resources," says LRN President Jim Engster. "This gives us both an opportunity to improve our farm news presence across the state." Under the terms of the deal, effective today, LRN will handle the sales of the agrinews product and each network will receive a percentage of the business. LRN launched the Louisiana Agrinews Network in 1976. In 1998 the Farm Bureau began the...
Rice farmers in Louisiana and Texas have filed papers to join an Arkansas lawsuit that accuses RiceTec Inc. of providing hybrid seed that produced inferior rice and didn't live up to promised yields. Court papers filed in Greene County Circuit Court show that 11 farmers in Louisiana and seven in Texas have joined the suit. The law firm representing the farmers says a total of 51 growers are now suing the Texas-based company. RiceTec denies that its products are defective and vows to defend itself in court. The farmers claim in their lawsuit that RiceTec falsely represented the quality of its hybrid rice. The farmers say the hybrid doesn't mill as well as traditional long-grain rice, which has allegedly damaged the reputation of the U.S. rice industry, hurt farmers' ability to export their products and resulted in market losses for farmers across the country.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry is monitoring low water levels, particularly at the Port of Lake Providence in East Carroll Parish, which is preventing shipments of grain, including corn and soybeans, from leaving the area. LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain is working with local and state officials on enlisting the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the area. "This issue could become disastrous, and we need the corps to focus on this problem," Strain said today. "While Louisiana is not experiencing a drought, the rest of the country is. This is a problem for our farmers in the area and the economy. We're in harvest season; and if our farmers can't get their grain to market, it will impact their livelihood." Grain travels from the Port of Lake Providence to the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, where it is shipped to the rest of the world. A barge can carry up to 1,600 tons of grain. If shipments aren't made, Direct economic losses could potentially be up...
A vaccine made by University Products that protects cattle from anaplasmosis, a disease that destroys red blood cells, could go into production at a Louisiana laboratory within a year, says veterinary scientist Gene Luther of the LSU AgCenter. Currently no USDA-licensed biologic facility exists in Louisiana. The vaccine is now made in an LSU AgCenter laboratory. Luther and scientists Lewis Hart and William Todd developed the "killed vaccine," which means it uses the dead organism to create immunity in cattle. University Products is less than a month away from completing the final test needed to start the licensing procedure, the company says. With the license and approved laboratory, the vaccine could be available worldwide. Just last week Missouri and Kentucky joined a list of 15 other states—Arkansas, California, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin—and the territory of Puerto Rico that...
Prices for corn and soybeans hit all-time highs today amid questions about the extent of damage to the crops from the merciless summer heat. Corn for September delivery rose 12.75 cents to finish at $8.07 per bushel, besting its all-time high of $7.87 per bushel set in June 2011. August soybeans gained 50.25 cents, or 3%, to end at $17.33 for a second straight record-setting day. Supplies of both crops are tight globally, and that may not improve much after this year's U.S. harvest. Crop conditions continue to degrade in the blistering heat, and there is little to no rain in forecasts at least through the end of the month. Many analysts are predicting that corn yields could fall to 140 bushels per acre or even lower if the high temperatures persist. Farmers raised hopes for a bountiful harvest by planting 96.4 million acres of corn this spring, the highest number of acres since 1937. Those hopes evaporated by mid-June as the heat took hold. Nearly 40% of the corn crop was in...
When the Red Stick Farmers Market was launched in 1996, its goal was to create a personal connection between local farmers and veggie lovers. The Saturday-morning downtown tradition has since expanded to include Thursdays and summer Tuesdays at outlying locations, providing fresh evidence that the “buy fresh, buy local” credo resonates with folks who want to support the area's economy while enjoying food when it's both tastiest and healthiest. 267-5060redstickfarmersmarket.org
Congress is crafting its farm bill, and so far regional agriculture professionals are looking at a mixed crop. As The (Houma) Courier reports, sugarcane producers have managed to get a minor win out of the Senate-passed bill, while others like rice farmers are fighting what they decry as "unfair" provisions. The House, beginning with its Agriculture Committee, has next crack at the bill, which will replace the current five-year plan expiring in September. Fearing that not all Louisiana farmers would fare well under the proposal, both of the state's U.S. senators voted against the legislation last week. Before he voted in opposition, Sen. David Vitter, a Republican, attached an amendment to the bill that he says aimed to close loopholes in the federal animal-fighting law related to attendance at dogfights and cockfights. Vitter, who described such activities as "garish spectacles," says the cons outweighed the pros, such as an expansion of the federal food-stamp program. Sen.
Spring is in full swing, an excellent time to give your potted blooms a beautiful new home. Right now, Louisiana Nursery Home and Garden Showplace is offering a sale on imported pottery, among other gardening accoutrements. At all four locations, there’s something to enhance every garden: striking turquoise-glazed planters, classic terracotta pots in dozens of sizes, embellished vessels finished with a rich bronze hue, and more. The sale prices vary, but most of the offerings are attractively discounted at 40% off.
La. agriculture hits record-high value in 2012
Agriculture pumped $11.4 billion into the Louisiana economy in 2012, according to the LSU AgCenter. That's up 6.5% compared to 2011 and represents a record high in the 35 years the AgCenter has been reporting the numbers. High prices and record yields for corn and soybeans were the main drivers of the new high, says AgCenter economist John Westra. Drought conditions in other parts of the country pushed up prices for feed grains, which are mostly corn. The fisheries industry saw a 40% increase in "landings" from 2010 to 2011; unlike other numbers in the AgCenter report, there's a one-year lag time on fisheries statistics because of how the data is collected, reflecting a recovery from the BP oil spill of 2010. "We don't know what the long-term impacts from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill may be," Westra says. "Only time will tell." About 1.4 million sacks of oysters were collected in 2011, a big jump from 2010 but still short of the 1.9 million sacks harvested in 2009. A more detailed...
Farmers Rice to spend $13.4M on mill expansion
Gov. Bobby Jindal joined officials from the Farmers Rice Milling Co. today to announce a $13.4 million expansion and modernization of the company's rice mill in eastern Calcasieu Parish. The 55,000-square-foot expansion of the mill's clean rice packaging and distribution facility will retain 87 jobs, LED says. The company, a division of The Powell Group, operates the largest rice mill in Louisiana. Overall, the company employs more than 125 workers in the rice mill and related facilities in and around Lake Charles. The company also employs an additional 25 people at its headquarters in Baton Rouge. To secure the project, LED says it offered the company a "competitive incentive package," including a Modernization Tax Credit of $425,000 payable over five years. The company is also expected to utilize the Industrial Tax Exemption Program, says LED, which has more on the expansion announcement
Farm bill extension leaves La. farmers uncertain about future
Farmers are disappointed that Congress couldn't pass a new farm bill in 2012 and instead extended the 2008 farm bill, which technically expired in September, says the LSU AgCenter. Mike Salassi, an economist at the AgCenter, says the extension puts farmers in a difficult position as they make planting decisions for this year. "We have enough risk in crop production and agriculture, and having so much uncertainty about the farm program just adds to that," Salassi says. The extension was passed along with the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, legislation aimed at avoiding the so-called fiscal cliff. The legislation extends current commodity programs including direct payments, which benefit many of Louisiana's row crop farmers. "Last fall up through December, when the House and Senate were putting together a new farm bill proposal, none of those included direct payments," Salassi says. "All of them wanted to get rid of it." The bill extension also left out some conservation programs...
Gulf shrimpers seek relief from foreign imports
Gulf of Mexico shrimpers have filed petitions with the federal government seeking relief from subsidized shrimp imports, according to a report on nola.com. The move comes several weeks after Gulf shrimpers hailed a House bill that included a provision to increase U.S. Customs and Border Protection's powers to combat illegal imports. The Coalition of Gulf Shrimp Industries late last week filed the petitions, which seek "countervailing duties"—duties imposed to offset subsidies by foreign governments—on shrimp from China, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The coalition states that the duties are needed to counteract the unfair trade advantages currently held by these countries. The petitions will be investigated by the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce. To read the complete story, click here.
La. farmers had good year in 2012
Despite setbacks such as this year's drought in the Midwest and Hurricane Isaac, Louisiana farmers had a productive year in 2012, according to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. Many of the state's major commodities saw record yields and historically high prices, with export markets continuing to grow. The Louisiana agriculture industry's estimated value was nearly $11 billion in 2011. With high prices and yields, that number is expected to increase in 2012 once it is calculated, and continue to improve in the year ahead. "In 2013, we look forward to strong commodity prices and expanding markets," says LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain. Despite the good news for the state's farmers, low river levels continue to be a threat to agriculture, not just in Louisiana but nationwide. Strain says LDAF is working with the state's congressional delegation to encourage the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge and maintain the nation's waterways, ports, and inland locks.
LSU AgCenter's new food business incubator attracting local, national companies
Oysters and prunes may not have a lot in common, but in LSU AgCenter food engineer Subramaniam Sathivel's lab, chefs are working with both to develop new food products. Sathivel specializes in cryopreservation and shelf stabilization of foods. He's partnering with Motivatit Seafoods of Houma to help the company produce a new oyster-and-spinach ravioli product, with a view to making it available in grocery stores by February. Motivatit, which developed a high-pressure process for killing a bacteria that can be found in raw oysters, credits the freezing and packaging work at the food business incubator with ensuring their product is fresh and safe to consume. Sathivel is also working with California-based Sunsweet on flavor enhancement and shelf-life extension for some of that company's dried fruit products, including prunes. Specifically, Sathivel is helping Sunsweet develop a new process for reducing water activity in its products to slow bacterial growth. The AgCenter has more...
Louisiana farmers set several yield records in 2012
Despite drought conditions and a hurricane, 2012 was an excellent year for Louisiana farmers, reports the LSU AgCenter, with many of the state's major commodities seeing record yields and historically high prices. AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry says good production practices and a lot of luck with precipitation helped. "We were relatively dry overall. But in many cases, we got just enough rain to keep the crops growing," Guidry says. Corn, soybeans, rice, cotton and grain sorghum all set yield records this year. And while farmers are still harvesting the state's sugarcane crop, the reported yields so far are at record levels. Moreover, drought in other parts of the country kept prices high for corn, soybeans, grain sorghum and wheat throughout the year. Though prices have moderated from highs earlier this year, when the national drought was headline news, Guidry expects them to remain strong. The agriculture industry in Louisiana was worth an estimated $6 billion in 2011. With high...
Ag chief to borrow $7M to take control of mill
Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain will borrow up to $7 million to take control of a defunct sugar cane mill in southwest Louisiana that was built with state tax dollars and only operational for 90 days. Strain received approval today from the Bond Commission to borrow the money through a bond sale and repay it over 10 years. The mill is teetering on default of its debt payments. Strain says if the state doesn't buy out the mill, a bank would take over the property and the state agriculture department wouldn't be able to sell it or lease it to recoup some of its investment. The borrowing plan "is our best course of action. Failing to do so will result in foreclosure and seizure of assets," Strain says. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry has spent $78 million to build and maintain the Lacassine mill constructed during the tenure of Strain's predecessor, Bob Odom. Strain says it was appraised for less than $7 million. The Associated Press has the full story
Louisiana Food Access Summit set for Nov. 7 in Baton Rouge
About 300 farmers, nonprofit organizations, policy-makers, school officials and others are expected at a daylong food access summit on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. LSU AgCenter nutritionist Annrose Guarino says organizers hope to improve communication among people who produce food and those who distribute it. She says the summit will include sessions on school and community gardens, food stamps and farmers markets, use of local foods in school lunch programs, developing local food policy councils, farm-to-school programs, and implementing a hunger-free Louisiana plan. Speakers will include state Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain; U.S. Department of Agriculture regional administrator Bill Ludwig; state Rep. Scott Simon, whose bill established a state Sustainable Local Food Policy Council; and LSU AgCenter Vice Chancellor Paul Coreil. The daylong summit will begin at 9:30 a.m. and wrap up at 4:30 p.m. Cost to attend is $26. You can check out a...
Baton Rouge port project expected to have huge impact on La. agriculture
David Bollich says a $130 million Louis Dreyfus Commodities project under construction at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge in Port Allen will have a greater beneficial impact on agriculture in south and central Louisiana than anything that has happened since he was a farmer. Bollich used to be a farmer in St. Landry Parish. Rice, soybeans and crawfish, he says. "If you do rice, you gotta have a few crawfish ponds on the side," he says. He works for Louis Dreyfus now, so he's biased, but he's not the only one who's excited about changes at the port. The new-and-improved grain elevator, slated to open next year, will connect Louisiana farmers with foreign markets, which could be worth millions to growers—thereby boosting the regional economy—while luring more ships to the port. "If you ask any grain farmer in this area," says Mike Danna with the Louisiana Farm Bureau, "I think they're fired up." Basically, all the technology at the elevator facility that moves...
Isaac leaves much of the state citrus crop rotting on the ground
Hurricane Isaac's damage to Louisiana agriculture was originally estimated at about $100 million. It flatted sugar cane, damaged soybeans and disturbed rice fields and other crops. But if the weather cooperates between now and harvest, the overall outcome could be better than expected, said LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry, who described the state as being “fairly lucky” after all.
An ode to crabs
Crabs are one of the most delicious critters on earth. Their sweet and delicate meat is often imitated, but that stuff is for the birds. I'll take my crab meat in lump form or boiled freshly for me in the shell. I have fond memories of crabs including catching them at the beach and winning an eating competition in Alaska. You really just can't go wrong with crabs!
Potential record-setting crops threatened by Isaac
Hurricane Isaac could wreck what was shaping up to be an excellent year for Louisiana agriculture. The LSU AgCenter says the storm threatens what remains of the state's record corn harvest, which—unlike most drought-starved crops across the country—started earlier than normal this year and has been moving rapidly. The drought has, however, slowed distribution of some of Louisiana's crops; lower water levels of the Mississippi River have forced barges to load only half or two-thirds full, says LSU AgCenter feed grain and cotton specialist John Kruse. He says the harvest would have been done by now if not for transportation problems, and he estimates that around one-third of the 560,000-acre crop is still in the field. With the storm approaching, Kruse says farmers are today scrambling to get the rest of the crop in. "Everyone who has somewhere to put corn is out cutting it," he says. Corn prices are currently high, around $8 a bushel, because of the shortages brought on by...
Louisiana loses a dynamic young farmer
All of us who follow farmers and farmers markets were saddened to learn of the death earlier this month of Corwith Davis, III, the 35-year-old proprietor of Inglewood Farm, an organic operation just south of Alexandria. Davis, a married father of two, had been hiking in North Carolina when he died unexpectedly. Many of you who shop routinely at the Red Stick Farmers Market had spoken to him and his enthusiastic young staff at their lush organic produce booth. They often came to the Thursday market, and were one of the few organic growers across the state.
Louisiana farm radio networks merging
The Louisiana Farm Bureau Radio Network is merging its farm broadcasting operations—which air agricultural news stories and market updates to affiliated radio stations in Louisiana and Mississippi—with the Louisiana Radio Network's agrinews division, which provides a similar service. The new combined entity, called the Louisiana Farm Bureau Agrinews Radio Network, will have 42 affiliates in the two states and will represent the largest consolidation of Louisiana stations that carry farm news. "They have a network that does agricultural news, and we have one, so it only makes sense to combine our resources," says LRN President Jim Engster. "This gives us both an opportunity to improve our farm news presence across the state." Under the terms of the deal, effective today, LRN will handle the sales of the agrinews product and each network will receive a percentage of the business. LRN launched the Louisiana Agrinews Network in 1976. In 1998 the Farm Bureau began the...
Farmers in Louisiana, Texas join RiceTec lawsuit
Rice farmers in Louisiana and Texas have filed papers to join an Arkansas lawsuit that accuses RiceTec Inc. of providing hybrid seed that produced inferior rice and didn't live up to promised yields. Court papers filed in Greene County Circuit Court show that 11 farmers in Louisiana and seven in Texas have joined the suit. The law firm representing the farmers says a total of 51 growers are now suing the Texas-based company. RiceTec denies that its products are defective and vows to defend itself in court. The farmers claim in their lawsuit that RiceTec falsely represented the quality of its hybrid rice. The farmers say the hybrid doesn't mill as well as traditional long-grain rice, which has allegedly damaged the reputation of the U.S. rice industry, hurt farmers' ability to export their products and resulted in market losses for farmers across the country.
Northern drought affects grain shipments in state
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry is monitoring low water levels, particularly at the Port of Lake Providence in East Carroll Parish, which is preventing shipments of grain, including corn and soybeans, from leaving the area. LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain is working with local and state officials on enlisting the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the area. "This issue could become disastrous, and we need the corps to focus on this problem," Strain said today. "While Louisiana is not experiencing a drought, the rest of the country is. This is a problem for our farmers in the area and the economy. We're in harvest season; and if our farmers can't get their grain to market, it will impact their livelihood." Grain travels from the Port of Lake Providence to the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, where it is shipped to the rest of the world. A barge can carry up to 1,600 tons of grain. If shipments aren't made, Direct economic losses could potentially be up...
LSU AgCenter cattle vaccine could go into production in 2013
A vaccine made by University Products that protects cattle from anaplasmosis, a disease that destroys red blood cells, could go into production at a Louisiana laboratory within a year, says veterinary scientist Gene Luther of the LSU AgCenter. Currently no USDA-licensed biologic facility exists in Louisiana. The vaccine is now made in an LSU AgCenter laboratory. Luther and scientists Lewis Hart and William Todd developed the "killed vaccine," which means it uses the dead organism to create immunity in cattle. University Products is less than a month away from completing the final test needed to start the licensing procedure, the company says. With the license and approved laboratory, the vaccine could be available worldwide. Just last week Missouri and Kentucky joined a list of 15 other states—Arkansas, California, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin—and the territory of Puerto Rico that...
Corn, soybean prices at record highs on crop woes
Prices for corn and soybeans hit all-time highs today amid questions about the extent of damage to the crops from the merciless summer heat. Corn for September delivery rose 12.75 cents to finish at $8.07 per bushel, besting its all-time high of $7.87 per bushel set in June 2011. August soybeans gained 50.25 cents, or 3%, to end at $17.33 for a second straight record-setting day. Supplies of both crops are tight globally, and that may not improve much after this year's U.S. harvest. Crop conditions continue to degrade in the blistering heat, and there is little to no rain in forecasts at least through the end of the month. Many analysts are predicting that corn yields could fall to 140 bushels per acre or even lower if the high temperatures persist. Farmers raised hopes for a bountiful harvest by planting 96.4 million acres of corn this spring, the highest number of acres since 1937. Those hopes evaporated by mid-June as the heat took hold. Nearly 40% of the corn crop was in...
Get your greens
When the Red Stick Farmers Market was launched in 1996, its goal was to create a personal connection between local farmers and veggie lovers. The Saturday-morning downtown tradition has since expanded to include Thursdays and summer Tuesdays at outlying locations, providing fresh evidence that the “buy fresh, buy local” credo resonates with folks who want to support the area's economy while enjoying food when it's both tastiest and healthiest. 267-5060 redstickfarmersmarket.org
U.S. Senate farm bill would have various effects in La.
Congress is crafting its farm bill, and so far regional agriculture professionals are looking at a mixed crop. As The (Houma) Courier reports, sugarcane producers have managed to get a minor win out of the Senate-passed bill, while others like rice farmers are fighting what they decry as "unfair" provisions. The House, beginning with its Agriculture Committee, has next crack at the bill, which will replace the current five-year plan expiring in September. Fearing that not all Louisiana farmers would fare well under the proposal, both of the state's U.S. senators voted against the legislation last week. Before he voted in opposition, Sen. David Vitter, a Republican, attached an amendment to the bill that he says aimed to close loopholes in the federal animal-fighting law related to attendance at dogfights and cockfights. Vitter, who described such activities as "garish spectacles," says the cons outweighed the pros, such as an expansion of the federal food-stamp program. Sen.
Garden accents for less
Spring is in full swing, an excellent time to give your potted blooms a beautiful new home. Right now, Louisiana Nursery Home and Garden Showplace is offering a sale on imported pottery, among other gardening accoutrements. At all four locations, there’s something to enhance every garden: striking turquoise-glazed planters, classic terracotta pots in dozens of sizes, embellished vessels finished with a rich bronze hue, and more. The sale prices vary, but most of the offerings are attractively discounted at 40% off.