The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation joined Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Dr. Mike Strain and other state agricultural organizations in urging federal officials to release the maximum allowable number of supplemental H-2B visas for fiscal year 2027 to help seasonal businesses address labor shortages.
Every harvest season, I get some version of the same question:
“Why don’t farmers hire Americans workers to harvest the sweet potatoes in Mississippi?”
The difficult reality is that, in many rural communities, a sufficiently large and dependable domestic seasonal workforce simply does not exist.
Thousands of volunteers across Louisiana helped remove 68 tons of trash and debris from the state’s rivers, lakes, bayous and shorelines during a month-long cleanup effort.
Keep Louisiana Beautiful reported that over 4,300 volunteers took part in 327 cleanup events. These events happened in 51 parishes throughout September.
The 89th International Rice Festival (IRF) was held here last weekend and once again, the mighty grain, and the men and women who raise it, mill it, and send it around the world, were celebrated in typical Louisiana fashion on two enormous soundstages and around the community.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) in Louisiana announced that it is opening an application period for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Arkansas-Louisiana Conservation Delivery Network (AR-LA CDN) Open Pine Landscape Restoration #2 Project. Louisiana farmers and landowners have until November 20, 2026, to submit applications to be considered for 2027 funding.
No significant rain in the outlook for the next 7-10 days means additional drying for Louisiana.
Drought continues to plague most of Louisiana and has markedly intensified in parts of the state over the past 30-60 days. A wholesale lack of rainfall coupled with continued above-normal temperatures have maintained elevated ET rates over the past two months or more.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented on President Trump’s announcement to provide $8 billion in relief for farmers facing higher diesel prices this fall.
The Farm Service Agency's FY27 Fall Pathways internship announcements are open now through Tuesday, November 17, 2026. We would appreciate your help sharing them with students at your institution.
Field-level data shows lower greenhouse gas emissions and soil loss, greater soil carbon sequestration, and improved water-use efficiency, as U.S. Regen brings measurable, traceable regenerative cotton to brands at scale
President Donald J. Trump, alongside U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make $8 billion available for one-time payments to American farmers this harvest season to provide relief during temporary market disruptions and increased input costs.
Hunting season has arrived, and experts are urging hunters to take safety precautions.
Many hunting injuries come from ATV accidents. Most ATVs allow only one rider and have specific weight and age limits. They can fall and collapse on hunters as well, causing brain trauma and breathing issues.
China has purchased more cargoes of US soybeans, extending a buying spree this week that marks its first acquisitions since the two leaders of the two countries held a summit in late September.” “State-owned companies have booked at least 20 soybean shipments that will be delivered from the US Gulf and Pacific West, according to people familiar with the matter, equivalent to around 1.3 million tons,” Bloomberg reported.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins visited Giesenschlag Farms in Caldwell, Texas, where she announced two new actions under the Great American Cotton Plan to strengthen support for American cotton producers.
The 89th International Rice Festival, held here this past weekend, was a grand time per usual – full of parading, live music, dancing, socializing, and, of course, eating rice. But this year, the USA Rice family had extra cause to celebrate. Ahead of the festival, Kane Webb, USA Rice director of field services, was selected as this year’s honoree.
Eddie Lewis III’s sugar cane crop looks better than it has in years, but he’ll be lucky if he breaks even by the end of the harvest.
Diesel prices have nearly doubled since he created his budget last winter. Fertilizer costs are up 20%. And a new, invasive pest known as the pasture mealybug has led to an unexpected $25,000 pesticide bill.
Agriculture students at LSU got to show off their artistic talent during Homecoming Week. Eight student organizations competed in the College of Agriculture Student Association’s What the Hay competition.
What the Hay allowed the different organizations to decorate hay bales that represent them. This year’s theme was The House We Built.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) is delivering approximately $446.4 million in farm safety net and conservation program payments to Louisiana farmers, ranchers and landowners. USDA recently announced nationwide historic safety net assistance totaling $13.8 billion in gross payments through the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2025 crop year and an additional $1.8 billion in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) annual payments for 2026.
The mammoth Domino Sugar Chalmette Refinery in Arabi has shaped St. Bernard Parish for more than half of its 117-year history, surviving fires, a deadly explosion and devastating flooding.
An investigation by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Livestock Brand Commission led to the arrest of 26-year-old Cortland C. Smith on a warrant for two counts of theft of livestock. Smith was arrested by the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office on October 11, 2026.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) will receive $461,475.63 through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to support nine projects focused on marketing, consumer education and outreach, and research benefiting Louisiana's specialty crop industries.
The USDA’s October Rice Outlook examines the latest developments in the U.S. rice industry, including production forecasts, crop conditions, supply and demand, trade and market prices. The report offers an updated look at the factors shaping the rice market and provides valuable insight for Louisiana rice producers as they navigate the current growing season and look ahead to the next marketing year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) today announced the launch of the Export Inspection and Weighing Dashboard, a new public facing visualization tool that modernizes how official U.S. export grain inspection volumes are reported to industry and the public.
Rising diesel prices are putting financial pressure on Louisiana's agriculture and forestry industries, while invasive pests and efforts to expand international markets remain key concerns for the state's producers. In a Q&A with LaPolitics, Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain discusses the impact of fuel costs on farmers, opportunities to expand exports of Louisiana commodities, the response to pasture mealybug and the threat of New World screwworm.
Throughout the month of September, USA Rice celebrated 2026 National Rice Month (NRM) by highlighting U.S.-grown rice and celebrating the men and women behind the grain through consumer outreach, social media, recipes, chain partnerships, and events promoting the U.S.-rice industry.
Listen to the latest markets and headlines in Louisiana Agriculture on The Voice of Louisiana Agriculture Radio Network.