Starting Aug. 1, there will be stricter penalties for businesses caught mixing domestic and foreign seafood and selling it as locally sourced.

The law's author, State Representative Timothy Kerner (R-Lafitte), says that the law, signed by Governor Jeff Landry a week ago, will help out the Louisiana seafood industry.

USDA is investing $105 million in 40 projects intended to combat the spread of New World screwworm. Those projects will receive funding through its “New World Screwworm Grand Challenge.”

The initiative, overseen by the agency’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, offered financial support for projects aimed at fighting the spread of New World screwworm.

The threat for active storms is not over for Louisiana ... but concerns for any widespread severe weather and tropical impacts are on a slow decline for the Bayou State.

Arthur appears to have already moved inland and is expected to remain inland for the rest of 'his' brief journey.

The American Farm Bureau Federation, with support from Farm Credit, is seeking applicants for the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence. The award recognizes U.S. military veterans or service members for excellence in farming or agriculture and positively impacting local communities.

The CFPCGP projects are to be designed to require a one-time contribution of Federal assistance to become self-reliant and meet short- and long-term goals. Applicants are required to address at least one short-term and one long-term CFPCGP goals that best fit the plan or project being proposed to ensure a comprehensive and enduring approach to resolving food and nutrition security and hunger.

The 2026/27 U.S. corn outlook remains virtually unchanged relative to last month. June’s WASDE report calls for fractionally higher beginning and ending stocks for 2026/27, reflective of mostly offsetting trade and domestic use changes for 2025/26 with adjustments to imports, corn used for ethanol, and exports based on data to date. The 2026/27 season-average farm price received by producers is unchanged at $4.40 per bushel.

The USDA reported on June 15 that Louisiana farmers have completed soybean planting, while 95% of U.S. soybean acreage was planted as of June 14 across the top producing states. The update matters because faster planting, stronger emergence and improving crop ratings could shape 2026 yield expectations, commodity prices, crop insurance decisions and farm income across the U.S. grain sector.

The 11th USDA Crop Progress report of the 2026 growing season showed generally solid momentum for row crops.

As of June 14, 95% of the soybean crop in the nation’s top 18 soybean-growing states was in the ground. That’s ahead of the five-year average of 93%.

Farmers in Louisiana are done planting soybeans.

River Queen Greens, as the name suggests, lies just outside of the levee blocking the Mississippi River, a 20-minute drive from downtown New Orleans. The farm produces certified naturally grown vegetables to sell to local restaurants and at farmers markets.

But summer is the farm’s off-season, which means it’s time for cover crops. One of the fields has already grown a lush crop of sunflowers that reach shoulder height.

Louisiana has enacted a pair of new laws requiring additional disclosures on foods produced through emerging technologies, as state lawmakers push for greater transparency in how products are made and marketed to consumers.

Gov. Jeff Landry signed House Bill 783, now Act 783, on June 8. The law requires products made with dairy proteins produced through microbial fermentation to carry a disclosure stating the product was produced through microbial fermentation and not derived from mammalian lactation.

LSU AgCenter horticulturist Joe Willis, also known as “Dr. Joe,” loves helping people grow plants. And the number of awards he’s won this year attests to how good he is at it.

Willis most recently won the National Garden Club’s Award of Excellence, their highest honor, in May, at the annual convention in St. Louis, Missouri.

The LSU AgCenter Agricultural Leadership Development Program is now accepting applications for Class XX, which is scheduled to begin in January 2027 with a completion date of February 2029.

“Developing leaders is one of the most important things we can do to move agriculture forward, especially as we navigate finance, policy and regulatory challenges,” said Matt Lee, senior vice chancellor and dean of the College of Agriculture.

Nominations are now being accepted for farmers and ranchers to serve on local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees. These committees make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2026 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 3, 2026.        

U.S. sugar producers face tighter domestic production prospects in 2026/27, while imports are expected to carry more of the supply load. LSU AgCenter economist Michael Deliberto says USDA’s first outlook projects domestic beet and cane sugar production at 8.810 million short tons, raw value.

The USDA has officially declared a number of parishes and counties in Louisiana and Arkansas disaster areas, and that impact is stretching into parts of Texas, too.

For farmers, it's been a tough stretch that started months ago. Many have been dealing with drought since last fall. On top of that, a winter storm hit making an already difficult situation even worse.

I am beginning to see some southern corn leaf blight in the central region. Please find attached some pictures. The lesions are much smaller than northern corn leaf blight, The decision to apply a fungicide should be made on a field-by-field basis (disease resistant hybrid?, growth stage (beyond tasseling?), environmental conditions (disease favored by 68-90 F and high moisture).

Serious, flooding rain will be possible through at least Friday. As I write this late Monday afternoon there are wide ranging rainfall totals across the state. Some areas in the coastal marshes haven’t seen rain, and other areas have seen over 5 inches, with maximum radar estimates approaching 9 inches. This is a fast start to what will be a long term, and serious rain event across Louisiana.

C&C Forest Products will invest over $21 million to rebuild its Coushatta sawmill following a 2025 fire, the company said Thursday in a news release.

The company is expected to create 77 direct new jobs with an average annual salary of $65,260, which is 34% above the average Red River Parish wage, while retaining 27 current positions.

The Big River Economic and Agricultural Development Alliance (BREADA) has announced a new Summer Culinary Series, sparked by growing community interest in interactive food experiences that highlight local agriculture, culinary learning, and meaningful connection.

Featuring chef-led classes, demonstrations, and tastings designed to showcase the freshest seasonal ingredients available at the Red Stick Farmers Market, the Summer Culinary Series will be hosted inside The Teaching Kitchen at Main Street Market.