It looks like another round of rain is on tap for Louisiana. The rain will start across north Louisiana early on Saturday, and spread southeast through the day. The best time to see moderate to heavy rainfall in most areas will be Saturday night into early Sunday. Instability should be shoved to the south as this system approaches, and that means that any sort of severe threat will be minimal at worst, and that very small threat will generally be along, and south of I-10. Rainfall totals will generally be in the 1/2 to 2 inch range, with higher totals in north Louisiana, as they will have the longest duration of rain.
Click below for the market report from latest Dominique’s Stockyards Livestock auctions.
The Pelican State just got a major boost. Today, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) announced the completion of a multi-year 5G network investment totaling more than $290 million across the state, including a $50 million network upgrade in the Greater New Orleans area. The announcement comes on the heels of the company’s expansion last month of Ultra Capacity 5G to new communities across Louisiana and the entire country.
Over the past three years, T-Mobile has improved Ultra Capacity 5G (5G UC) connectivity for more than 1.7 million Louisianans, including residents in small towns and rural areas in the state.
The domestic production of sugar in the U.S. originates from sugarcane harvested in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas and sugarbeets harvested across the Upper Midwest, Central Plains, Mountain states, Pacific Northwest, and California.
Sugarcane is harvested from October to March and sugarbeets are harvested in the late summer through fall, except for California where sugarbeets are harvested in the spring through the summer.
Recently the Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri released their outlook for U.S. agriculture. They project that American sugar production remains strong and is expected to grow, despite challenges we have seen over the past couple years including factory closures in Sidney, MT, and Santa Rosa, TX.
“Despite new and existing challenges, the forecast is bright for American sugar production as long as the farmers’ safety net is strengthened,” said Dr. Rob Johansson, Director of Economics and Policy Analysis at the American Sugar Alliance.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has received $65.2 million to aid the fishing industry damaged by storms and flooding.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has given the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries two pots of money to distribute to the fishing community. It includes $38.2 million to aid the fishing industry affected by the 2019 opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway. A separate $27 million has been given to the department to aid the fishing industry impacted by hurricanes that struck Louisiana between 2021 and 2022.
One step into a tour of the Kennedy Rice Mill in Mer Rouge called into question one cardinal rule of Cajun cooking for ladies of all ages during a Louisiana Women in Agriculture event.
“My grandma always said you needed to wash the dirt off the rice first, but I’m starting to reconsider,” one participant mused.
Meryl Kennedy rode shotgun for farm checks, walked flooded rice fields and picked up enough lingo to keep her fluent in the unique vernacular of a Louisiana farming community. Those moments spent learning at her father Elton’s side imprinted in her a deep appreciation for overcoming the hardships of farming in the near-hostile environment of the Gulf state.
Deep down though, she knew her heart just wasn’t in the dirt. She needed the glamor of the corporate world, of meeting with investors and negotiating global deals. The complete opposite of her father’s down-home rice farming, drying and land management business - or so she thought.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., has been appointed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Advisory Council Subcommittee on Planning for Animal Welfare (PAW). This Council will advise the FEMA Administrator on all matters related to emergency management and animal welfare.
“I am very honored by this appointment,” said LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M. “In Louisiana, we have been focused on creating new policies to help with the protection of animals during an emergency since Hurricane Katrina.
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) today unveiled a new, online Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) Decision Tool and farm loan resources available to agricultural producers and cooperators who help producers access USDA disaster assistance, farm loans and other federal farm programs. The new LIP tool and the farm loan informational video resources were developed in partnership with FarmRaise and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). These tools are now available at www.farmraise.com/usda-fsa.
Louisiana's 2024 soybean planting season had a later start compared to last year but was ahead of the historical five-year average according to the latest USDA-NASS survey as of the week ending April 7th, 2024. Recent precipitation, particularly the heavy storms on April 10th, have likely slowed planting progress and may raise concerns about stand establishment due to factors such as soil crusting, hail damage, and flooding/saturated soils.
Tuesday, a coalition of rice state legislators including four Senators and eight House members, led by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), sent a letter to the Department of the Treasury requesting a quick resolution to financing restrictions which have prevented the Government of Iraq from procuring essentials including U.S. rice.
Iraq is the second largest market for U.S. milled long grain rice. The government of Iraq provides rations, including that rice, to 41 million Iraqis with 6 million receiving additional rations because they live below the poverty line; the total population in Iraq is approximately 45 million people.
On April 16, inspectors with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Livestock Brand Commission arrested Eric M. Harris of Weyanoke, Louisiana, for theft of three head of livestock.
The arrest was the result of a brand commission investigation which determined that in August of 2023, 37-year-old Harris sold and was paid for three head of livestock from a West Feliciana cattle producer.
Forest landowners know there are only two types of land: that which doesn’t have hogs; and that which soon will have hogs.
Feral hogs in the Southeast United States have been a problem for landowners for centuries. First brought to North America in the 1500s by Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto, the free-range swine quickly populated southern forests. Exacerbating the problem in the early 20th century, more aggressive Eurasian wild boars were turned loose for hunters and despite “game-proof” caging, many escaped and mingled their bloodlines with other wild hogs, according to LSU AgCenter information.
Hurricanes are a regular threat to the Gulf Coast, and while it is important to plan and prepare, there is little for Louisianians to do except react to the aftermath of these storms. For the past 29 years, Colorado State University’s meteorological team has released a tropical forecast for the Atlantic. This year, CSU is predicting 23 named storms, 11 of which they believe will be hurricanes.
The American Farm Bureau Federation today urged USDA to reverse its decision to cancel livestock and crop surveys that are crucial to the success of America’s farmers and ranchers. The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently announced it would no longer provide a July cattle inventory survey, as well as county-level estimates for crops and livestock and the objective yield survey for cotton.
In a pocket of central Louisiana, a surprising crop for that area is taking root — sugarcane.
Sugarcane, a tropical crop, has traditionally been limited to south Louisiana. But by using precision breeding techniques, LSU AgCenter researchers are developing sugarcane varieties that can withstand colder temperatures.
Louisiana stands on the brink of a significant economic opportunity—one that promises to reinforce our leading role in global agriculture while profoundly benefiting local communities. The proposed Greenfield Wallace Grain Export Facility is poised to enhance the Port of South Louisiana, increasing its already dominant status in grain exports by approximately 10%. This isn’t just growth; it’s transformational change that secures our agricultural future and bolsters our national food security.
Register for a free webinar series for military veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses on how to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prepare for a career in agriculture. This webinar series is designed to provide information about USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher programs and resources for the military community.
The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) adopted an amended Notice of Intent to hold a Louisiana black bear hunting season in December of 2024 in northeast Louisiana.
The action came during the commission’s April meeting on Tuesday (April 9) in Baton Rouge. The action authorizes the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) to take all necessary steps to direct and prepare a report to the legislative oversight committee and file the final rule.
Rain is a good thing – though farmers are constantly facing the challenging reality of too much or not enough of one of their occupation’s most critical resources. In Louisiana, where corn planting typically kicks off in late February, rebounding rains after 2023’s widespread drought have stalled progress planting 2024 corn.
In USDA crop progress reports released March 11, 18 and 25, each found the state averaging just over two days per week suitable for field work – based on soil moisture and temperature. By March 25, corn planting completion hovered around 52%, a sharp difference from 2023’s 93% and grand progress form the week prior at 28%.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging dairy producers to enroll by April 29, 2024, for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), an important safety net program that helps offset milk and feed price differences. This year’s DMC signup began Feb. 28, 2024, and payments, retroactive to January, began in March 2024. So far, DMC payments triggered in January and February of 2024 at margins of $8.48 and $9.44 respectively.
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