More than 130 head of cattle passed through the show ring April 10–11 at the Florida Parishes Arena in Amite during the Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Youth Livestock Show. The annual event brings young exhibitors from across the state together to showcase their livestock while gaining insight into the agriculture industry.
This year’s crawfish season is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Farmers are in the middle of peak harvest, but the catch so far has been average, with several challenges impacting production.
Mixed weather and shifting input costs are shaping planting decisions this season, especially for farmers forced to replant.
The Trump administration’s top ag trade official says the tariff policy has been a game changer for the industry.
Congressional leaders are signaling renewed momentum on a long-delayed farm bill as pressure builds from agricultural groups ahead of the 2026 planting season.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) announced a significant new investment aimed at strengthening export opportunities for American agriculture. Through the America First Trade Promotion Program (AFTPP), a $285 million initiative, USDA/FAS is providing additional support to help U.S. farmers, ranchers, and producers expand their reach in international markets and remain competitive globally. As part of this effort, USA Rice was awarded $5 million in funding to further its work promoting U.S.-grown rice abroad.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is leaning into a peculiar argument: placing bets in online prediction markets is just another form of commodities investing.
House Republican leaders are shifting into high gear to boost support for the farm bill ahead of next week’s planned vote on the package, according to a whip notice obtained by Politico on Monday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has officially launched its first-ever Office of Seafood, marking a historic moment for commercial fishermen, aquaculture producers, and seafood processors across the country. The announcement was made April 15 by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins alongside Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan and other federal officials.
It’s rather easy to spot a crawfish pond in Southwest Louisiana, especially Jeff Davis Parish, where you’ll find over 80 thousand acres of Louisiana’s rice and crawfish fields.
Louisiana State University AgCenter researchers have confirmed the presence of a new invasive insect in Louisiana sugarcane fields. The pasture mealybug was detected in Vermilion and Iberia parishes late last year, raising concerns among growers, ranchers and researchers.
The Farm Credit Council is among 338 agricultural groups urging swift passage of Farm Bill 2.0, recently approved with bipartisan support by the House Agriculture Committee. The coalition sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and all House members, emphasizing the need for updated policy.
Cover crops are an important off-season tool for farmers looking to improve soil fertility, reduce erosion and manage nitrogen, all while creating an ecosystem for pollinators and other beneficial insects to thrive.
However, they can also be a “green bridge” for undesirable pests like the redbanded stinkbug.
The Trump administration is preparing to direct tens of billions of dollars from tariffs and renegotiated trade deals toward strengthening domestic fertilizer production, according to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
Earlier this week, 17 members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer, encouraging him to consider a rice-specific Section 301 investigation into nations that are unfairly harming our domestic rice producers.
After months of uncertainty, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed Wednesday that the Project Cypress Direct Air Capture project in Louisiana has survived a "critical" department-wide audit—conducted as part of a broader administration review of federal spending—with funding of up to $600 million possible.
A U.S. lawmaker has introduced legislation requiring the federal government to only purchase domestically produced seafood for school lunches and other federal programs.
The warning signs for U.S. agriculture in 2026 are stacking up fast. From record-setting drought coverage to historically low snowpack and new research explaining why water supplies aren’t adding up, experts say the challenges facing farmers and ranchers this year aren’t just seasonal. They’re structural, compounding, and increasingly difficult to predict.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued emergency use authorizations for four animal drugs aimed at preventing and treating New World screwworm, a parasitic threat that can cause severe and often fatal tissue damage in livestock and other animals.
Something big is happening when you see mainstream media outlets with headlines regarding agriculture. That happened this week when the American Farm Bureau Federation announced the results of a nationwide survey that revealed 70 percent of farmers can’t afford to buy all of the fertilizer they’ll need for the 2026 season.
During the first week of April 2026, Louisiana saw a return of rain after a dry stretch, with showers and storms bringing some much-needed moisture—especially in northwestern and southeastern parts of the state. However, rainfall was still below normal in many areas and only led to minor drought improvement.
Between freeze damage, disease pressure and low commodity prices, wheat farmers in Louisiana are having a tough time in 2026.
“This year has not been very nice to us,” said Boyd Padgett, LSU AgCenter wheat specialist.
The Secreary of Agricuture has designated 25 Parishes here in Louisiana as Natural Disaster Areas due to the recent drought.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is calling on Congress to increase the borrowing authority of a key federal funding mechanism used to support farmers during economic stress. Rollins said the current $30 billion limit for the Commodity Credit Corporation may be insufficient to address rising production costs, market volatility and potential disaster relief needs.
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