The last few weeks brought not only daily downpours and storms, but also hope for farmers across Louisiana.
Crops are seeing relief as rain continues to hit Louisiana. June’s sweltering heat and drought caused damage and losses to high-risk crops — corn, soybeans, cotton and rice.
However, drought isn’t the only cause for concern this growing season.
Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain said flooding and drought affected all major commodities, especially corn.
After suffering spillage this spring, crop production reached a standstill because of infertile soil.
The opening of the Morganza Spillway destroyed crops planted in the flood zone. Producers were unable to replant crops so late in the season. A shocking 100 percent crop loss has been recorded in areas of northeast Louisiana following flooding.
With rain levels predicted to remain high in the coming week, farmers are left waiting for wet conditions to settle until they step back onto their soaked fields.
Before the intense July rain, more than 52 parishes in Louisiana faced a severe drought index.
In recent years, the rain index met 36.97 inches. This year’s rate is below the statewide yearly average at only 10.9 inches, Strain said.
LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry said the issue is a “hit and miss situation,” after the relatively low June and July indexes and recent heavy rain sparked a sense of hope this week.
“There’s still time for some of the later-planted crops such as soybeans, cotton and sugarcane,” Guidry said in a LSU AgCenter news release. “They’re a little more drought-resistant than corn and grain