Despite two major hurricanes last year, much of south Louisiana is enduring a record-setting drought that began last year. As of Monday, Baton Rouge has received 11.95 inches of rain in 2006. The average for this point of the year is 31.85 inches, making for a 19.90 inch deficit. Since Jan. 1, 2005, the capital city’s total rainfall has been off by 34.94 inches. Dr. John Saichuk, LSU AgCenter rice specialist, said the consequences of hurricanes Katrina and Rita are still being felt today in agriculture. He said Rita brought intense tidal surge to the southwestern parishes where rice is grown and saturated the fields with large amounts of salt water. Normally farmers would depend on rainfall to act as a flushing agent to the salt water, but that hasn’t happened yet. “[Rita] took a huge part out of the acreage,” he said. Vermillion, Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes have been affected the most. Rice crop acreage in Vermillion Parish has gone from over 70,000 acres to a little over 30,000 acres over the past year. There are ways to compensate for rainfall, such as irrigation or using wells, but Saichuk said the price of these methods are often too high for farmers in the area. The drought has affected not only the crops, but the farmers themselves. “Some decided to quit farming. Others found new jobs,” Saichuk said. The recent flurry of showers in the state has come too late as the optimum planting season between Mar. 15 and Apr. 20 has passed. Saichuk said at this point, some farmers are hoping for no rain until harvesting begins in late July and August. With hurricane season just kicking off the possibility of rain is likely, but Saichuk said the water brought by hurricanes is bad because most of the water comes from storm surge and not actual rainfall. “Another surge would be disastrous,” he said. Another industry that has been hit hard by the drought is the sugarcane industry. During June through August, sugarcane should be growing about an inch per day, but Dr. Benjamin L. Legendre, LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist, said that number has been cut in half. “Very little growth has taken place,” he said. Legendre said the lack of rain may end up producing sugarcane that is low in number and in stature. The concentration of salt is very high in sugarcane fields as a result of the hurricanes, and without rainfall the salt could ultimately affect the field. Legendre said the problem is not as severe for sugarcane at this point because growing season hasn’t hit full throttle. “We are closely monitoring the problem,” he said. Price Gay, a sugarcane farmer from Pointe Coupee Parish, said the drought has been spotty. “I got two inches of rain last week, but a mile down the road may have gotten less than an inch,” he said. Gay said he knows many farmers that have been affected by the drought, and some have been hurt more than others. “My crop could be better, but I’m thankful for what I’ve gotten,” he said. Sugarcane planting usually begins in late July. Harvesting doesn’t begin until late September and runs through the end of December. Like Saichuk, Legendre said most farmers aren’t equipped to irrigate, so they rely on weather to do the job. “We’ll take what Mother Nature gives us,” Saichuk said.
—–Contact Tyler Batiste at [email protected]