With freezing temperatures hitting early-planted corn, farmers are weighing the costs and benefits of replanting. An LSU Extension specialist urges most of them to wait and see.
USDA’s Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation says the agency is working to fast-track disaster assistance for producers impacted by recent wildfires.
A surge of U.S. soybean shipments to China is providing a boost to export demand, even as uncertainty grows over the future of trade talks between the two countries. Recent export activity shows increased volumes of U.S. soybeans moving to China, the world’s largest buyer, as previously arranged purchases are fulfilled. Bloomberg reports the shipments come amid shifting global competition, particularly from Brazil, and reflect continued reliance on the Chinese market for U.S. growers. However, market sentiment has been tempered by delays surrounding a potential summit between U.S. and Chinese leaders, raising questions about future trade policy and demand stability. Analysts say uncertainty over negotiations could weigh on soybean prices and influence farmer marketing decisions. China remains the top destination for U.S. soy exports, making trade relations a key factor for the farm economy. Any disruption or delay in talks could have ripple effects across commodity markets.
From barns to show rings, producers and students say that livestock events offer economic opportunity and life lessons. Let’s take a look at some shows across the southeast in Georgia, Virginia, and Louisiana, showcasing the hard work and talents of rural youth in 4-H and FFA.
As Congress considers a military funding package, relief for farmers might become a key component of the legislative equation. More than 50 farmer groups are asking President Trump and Congress to include aid in the package. The letter sites severe weather conditions, the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and sustained market pressure as their reasons for additional funding.
In another sobering reminder of the economic challenges facing America’s farmers and ranchers, new data show that farmers’ share of the money consumers spend on food continues to shrink, even as expenses rise. The latest Market Intel from American Farm Bureau Federation economists shows that in 2024 farmers and ranchers received a combined 5.8 cents of every food dollar after accounting for expenses, down from 5.9 cents in 2023. 2024 is the latest available data from USDA.
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced a bill that would require mandatory price reporting of fertilizer — a bid for more market information after the war in Iran prompted the biggest surge in crop nutrient costs in years.
The National Family Farm Coalition, an advocacy group that has historically been critical of large-scale and corporate agriculture, is raising concerns over a reported delay to a federal poultry rule it says is critical for contract growers.
At the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference, U.S. Department of Agriculture Administrator for the Rural Business and Cooperative Service J.R. Claeys announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is guaranteeing $115.2 million across eight states through the Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program (TPEP) to ensure sawmills and other wood processing facilities have the necessary funding to establish, reopen, expand, or improve their operations.
When we sit down to eat crawfish, we hardly ever think about the process of getting these crustaceans from wetlands onto our plates. By learning about this process, we can better appreciate the time and efforts crawfish farmers and catchers put in to ensure we can enjoy this Louisiana staple.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced approval of Section 18 emergency exemptions for the use of Courier® SC (A.I. buprofezin) insect growth regulator for the control of the rice delphacid (Tagosodes orizicolus) in the rice production regions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
The LSU AgCenter is hosting a hands-on and interactive event to teach children and their families about agriculture in Louisiana.
The Root and Bloom Fellowship is an advocacy and power-building educational opportunity for farmers across the country, where fellows dive deep into the roots of federal agriculture policy and uncover how it shapes the landscape for young and BIPOC farmers.
Later this year, Michael Roe, a professor of entomology at North Carolina State University, will be inducted into the National Academy of Inventors. His insect biology research has led to 16 U.S. patents, four foreign patents and multiple new companies.
The Trump administration is turning to other sources of fertilizer due to the ongoing shipping challenges caused by the Iran war. White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett said the administration is looking to Venezuela and possibly Morocco. “We’ve established licenses for Venezuela to produce more fertilizer, calling it an insurance policy against disruption,” Hassett told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” program. “I’m not saying we can eliminate what disruption there is so far, but we can minimize it.” Reuters also said fertilizer supplies have shrunk as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran cut off critical nitrogen fertilizer supplies from the Gulf to the world’s farmers, sending prices spiking by more than a third in recent weeks. Bloomberg said the U.S. currently has duties in place on Moroccan phosphate, and the duties are now under review. “Pleas from U.S. farm groups to remove those fees that ramped up after the war began in Iran,” Bloomberg reported.
An ag economist says the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is putting more pressure on the entire supply chain.
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) is now accepting applications for the 2026 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), funded through the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS).
This Administrator’s Physical Loss Notification allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.
Severe weather, high expenses and global uncertainty are hitting farmers from all sides, squeezing them to the breaking point. Fifty-four agriculture groups laid out the challenges facing rural America in a letter to President Trump today.
Triticale is a hybrid of wheat and rye and can be used as a food crop, animal feed or cover crop. Researchers with the LSU AgCenter are working on developing a variety that can give farmers the most benefits.
A forest fire near Hudson and Sikes in Winn Parish burned thousands of acres on March 18, forcing approximately 250 residents to evacuate before crews fully contained it by 8:30 p.m.
Last month’s oil spill from a terminal operated by the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, or LOOP, is threatening the state’s oyster industry. Last month, a cargo transfer hose at the terminal located 18 miles offshore in Terrebonne Bay sprang a leak, spewing more than 31,000 gallons of Venezuelan crude into the bay. Mitch Jurisich, the chairman of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force, says the oil has now made contact with the coast, which can spell disaster.
In the heart of Cajun country, Allen Mclain farms about 3,000 acres of rice together with his wife, father, and two younger brothers. Much of their crop, all south of LA-14, is under threat. Saltwater from the Gulf is slowly, and some days quickly, making its way up through marshes, bayous, and over levees.
A historic labor strike at one of the country’s largest beef processing plants is sending early warning signs throughout the U.S. cattle and beef industry. Both producers and consumers may feel the impact.
Listen to the latest markets and headlines in Louisiana Agriculture on The Voice of Louisiana Agriculture Radio Network.