Louisiana’s current drought may benefit the state’s agriculture industry more than it hurts it, says LSU agricultural economics professor Kurt Guidry.
Guidry says an unusually wet summer—with the August flood and saturating rains—hurt production for many farmers, who are breathing a sigh of relief for now.
“Certainly we’re in a dry period, but it was actually a pretty welcome sight, given the August and September we had,” he says.
According to federal data, the entire state is now in some form of drought, with much of the Louisiana falling under a “moderate drought,” the second-lowest category.
The U.S. Drought Monitor ranks dryness in five levels, from “abnormally dry,” to “exceptional drought.” A small portion in northeast Louisiana near Monroe is in the third stage, “severe drought.”
Sugarcane, soybean and cotton farmers need dry conditions to harvest, and are welcoming the period, Guidry says. Farmers can finally harvest crops that couldn’t be harvested because of the summer rain.
Still, the flood damage is substantial. Yields of cotton, which farmers should have completed harvesting by now, are significantly down in central Louisiana due to the flood. This year’s average yield of cotton is expected to be around 900 pounds—about 100 pounds lower than last year’s.
Guidry estimates that the floods in south Louisiana will cost farmers $277 million, more than doubling his original figure of $110 million.
Last month, Guidry said Louisiana’s agriculture industry has lost at least $367 million of crops, livestock and equipment to floods in 2016. North Louisiana farmers suffered $90 million of damage during the March flooding.
Louisiana’s soybean and rice crops suffered about $69 million each in damage, according to the LSU AgCenter. Corn saw about $44 million in damage, and cotton took a $26 million blow.
At least $4 million worth of cattle died or had to be relocated in the flood, the AgCenter says. The livestock industry is coping with $8 million in damage to hay.
While a drought is potentially good news for some, wheat producers may not be able to plant unless it starts raining soon, Guidry says.
Livestock production costs may increase because farmers weren’t able to get as much hay in the wet summer and may not be able to plant winter forage without rain.
Weather has not been typical over the last few years, Guidry says, aside from “optimal” conditions in 2013 and 2014.
—Sam Karlin
