Weather wreaks havoc on harvests

Louisiana may not have been hit by any hurricanes this year, but weather is still wreaking havoc on harvests. Dr. Kurt Guidry of the LSU AgCenter says that after an early-season drought, excessive and persistent rains over the past two months have delayed harvest and resulted in both quality and quantity losses for many commodities. “While the amount of rain has been an issue for agricultural producers, the timing and the persistence of the rains has been equally as problematic,” he says. “The persistence of the rains and its limits on fieldwork have occurred at likely the worst possible time of the year.” For many of the agricultural commodities grown in the state, September and October mark the height of the harvest season. While quantity and quality have been affected by harvest delays, Guidry said, additional damage could occur with additional delays because of the large percentage of crops yet to be harvested. “Currently, only 29% of the cotton crop is harvested as compared to the five-year average of 89%,” Guidry says. “Likewise, only 46% of the sweet potato crop is harvested versus the average level of 69%. Finally, only 73% of the soybean crop is harvested as compared to the five-year average of 94%.” The harvest estimates are from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, and the damage estimates are based on evaluations from LSU AgCenter agents in each of the state’s 64 parishes. Rainfall totals at 10 locations in the state ranged from 9 to 28 inches with an average of nearly 17 inches since September 1. Equally as important, rain has fallen on average of every 1.95 days during that time. “Rains essentially occurring every other day have severely limited normal harvest,” Guidry says. “October rainfall totals have ranged from 6 to 18 inches with an average of 10.6 inches with rain occurring every 1.75 days.”