Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says the state’s crawfish industry is dealing with a significant labor shortage. Strain told state lawmakers that crawfish processing plants do not have enough workers to peel and package crawfish, because the federal government has put a cap on foreign guest workers.
The continuing partisan divisions within the House Agriculture Committee flared again as lawmakers worked through a full day of marking up the latest attempt by Congress to pass a farm bill.
Corn planting is underway across Concordia Parish, where farmers have been quick to roll into the fields as a stretch of mild, steady weather opens the door for an early start. Planters are already moving across fields that have dried just enough to give this year’s crop a solid beginning.
An unusual earthquake early Thursday, March 5 in northwestern Louisiana awoke people from their sleep, shook furniture, rattled pipes and raised eyebrows due to its strength.
The U.S. Geological Survey previously reported that the magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck about 5:30 a.m. March 5 with its epicenter just north of Coushatta, about 50 miles from Shreveport. Later, the earthquake was upgraded to a magnitude 4.9.
The president of Hungary toured a museum and two churches, met state officials and residents — and also received a basket of Louisiana’s famous strawberries — during his first-ever trip to the state’s Hungarian Settlement in rural Livingston Parish.
Crawfish season is underway across Acadiana and local crawfish farmer Jude Mequet says early signs point to a steady and promising stretch for farmers and customers alike. He notes that warmer temperatures have played a key role in jump starting production sooner than expected.
A nice dose of rain is on the way for most of Louisiana, though there will be a wide spread in totals across the state. We did see some scattered showers, and a few storms on Wednesday, and after a mostly dry Thursday, I think things will start to get active toward the weekend.
An ag economist says the military conflict in the Middle East will likely raise prices for two critical inputs for farmers.
The show ring is packed with students putting their best foot forward for showmanship. When Jesse Daigle steps onto the dirt, he has his game face on.
In Louisiana, farmers take advantage of flooded fields to raise two harvests together: rice and crawfish. Normally, this provides two income streams for landowners and two food sources for the country. However, invasive pests are now interfering with both, the Associated Press reported.
Rice farming is changing. To ensure that growers’ experiences and priorities are understood, researchers from the Louisiana State University (LSU) are talking with farmers across the southern U.S. rice-growing region to ensure grower perspectives guide future support for rice production.
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has announced enrollment is open for the 2026 crop year. New this year, in addition to full program benefits growers can evidence regenerative farming practices through the Field Partner Program, expanding opportunities for those demonstrating responsible production with measurable data.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on potential fuel and fertilizer supply issues following military action in Iran.
The new farm bill, which the House Agriculture Committee has said it will mark up next week, should help U.S. cotton farmers who have struggled with three years of prices below production costs.
Crawfish processing plants in Louisiana are at a diminished capacity this year because they haven’t been able to get as many visas for the foreign guest workers, according to state Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain.
Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) isn’t the only nematode species threatening soybean production today. To help soybean farmers stay ahead of emerging nematode threats, The SCN Coalition has expanded its educational outreach to create the Soybean Nematode Management Guides, providing practical tools and science-based strategies to identify and manage four yield-robbing, parasitic nematode species.
Meat sales reached a record $112 billion in 2025, climbing 2 percent in pounds sold, according to Circana data highlighted in the 21st annual Power of Meat report released at the Annual Meat Conference in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
The U.S. Trade Representative's office said on Monday it will seek further reductions in foreign tariffs and non-tariff barriers this year, enforce its "reciprocal" trade deals and consider launching new unfair trade practices investigations.
Organic radishes are pretty in a salad, but perhaps one of the purest expressions of the “farm to table” concept is the humble Louisiana crawfish boil. Baited traps are set in ponds within flooded fields and then retrieved the next morning brimming with the nocturnal creatures. Somewhere between a few hours and a few days later, the live mudbugs are made available to backyard boilers or cooked to spicy perfection in area restaurants. Whether you boil them yourself or order them off a menu, it’s a feast worth waiting months for.
The crawfish industry annually contributes more than $300 million to Louisiana’s economy. A research study at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is proving it could also help control invasive carp in Louisiana rivers.
A professor and his researchers at LSU have developed a disaster management instrument called “DeepFire,” a tool using artificial intelligence to predict when and where wildfires can start before ignition.
DeepFire is an AI-based system that can predict wildfires in particular regions so that emergency managers can allocate resources ahead of time to prevent disaster.
As strawberry season in Louisiana picks up, Louisiana Public Broadcasting will debut a new independent documentary about the sweet treat, a boost to the region's economy.
LOSC preliminary assessment indicates that the 2025-26 winter (Dec 1 thru Feb 28) was a “warm” and “dry” one across Louisiana, fitting the climatic patterns expected for an ENSO/La Niña phase winter.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for March 2026, which are effective March 1, 2026. USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.
Listen to the latest markets and headlines in Louisiana Agriculture on The Voice of Louisiana Agriculture Radio Network.