An accounting of the value of agriculture in Louisiana. Agents and specialists of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, as well as other agencies - both private and public - compile this information. It focuses on the animal, forestry, fisheries, plant and wildlife commodities that comprise our vital agricultural industry. This industry continues to contribute significantly to the state's economy with the potential for increased impacts through value-added processing.

Cost budgets are reported for 20 vegetable crops, with combinations of crop, machinery size and market channel. Each cost budget is supplemented with a table where net returns are calculated over a range of prices and yields. Crops include butter beans, snap beans, broccoli, fall cabbage, spring cabbage, cantaloupe, cauliflower, sweet corn, cucumber, eggplant, mustard, okra, southern peas, bell pepper, Irish potato, sweet potato, shallots, squash, strawberries, tomatoes and watermelon.

The dollar amounts, which are estimates of reduced revenue and increased costs, are broken down by storm and commodity. Total estimated costs are also provided.

Based on the information known at the time of the storm, and given the historical value of these industries to the state, the AgCenter was able to provide preliminary estimates on losses of revenue due to production losses.

(Distributed 09/05/08) Louisiana agricultural producers who suffered crop damage from Hurricane Gustav need crop insurance or non-insured crop disaster assistance coverage to be eligible to participate in federal disaster assistance programs, according to LSU AgCenter agricultural economist Kurt Guidry.

The report includes enterprise production cost budgets for the following container-grown ornamental crops in plant hardiness zones 8 and 9: indica azalea, crape myrtle, liriope, southern live oak, lantana and fig.

Forestry, crops, animals, fisheries and other enterprises based in agriculture and natural resources add up to multibillion dollar industries for the state of Louisiana. This handy pocket-sized publication provides details on Louisiana agriculture and natural resources, records set in 2007, the number of farms and farmers and much more.

With an ever-changing production and marketing environment, agricultural producers frequently face difficult decisions. This publication provides Louisiana’s producers with a view of the potential marketing and production environments they are likely to face, so they can use that information while making farm management and production plans.

This report presents estimates of projected costs of producing crawfish in Louisiana for the 2008 season.

This report presents estiamtes of projected 2008 production costs associated with the production of beef cattle, dairy cattle and forage crops in Louisiana.

(Distributed 01/15/08) Southwest Louisiana farmers are hopeful that rice prices will remain strong, but their optimism is tempered by increased production costs. In a series of rice forums across South Louisiana, LSU AgCenter experts advised farmers on techniques of managing their 2008 crop.

(Distributed 1/4/08) Soybean producers and agribusiness personnel will gather on Jan. 17 near Alexandria to discuss the latest developments in technology for growing soybeans profitably.

(Distributed 01/18/08) A risk management workshop for green industry professionals will be held on Monday, Feb. 11 at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station in Hammond.

(Radio News 01/07/08) Large acreage shifts and good prices marked agricultural production in 2007 according to LSU AgCenter economist Dr. Kurt Guidry. High yields also were a big topic throughout the year. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

This report presents estimates of projected production costs for the production of cotton, soybeans, corn, milo and wheat in the Red River area of Louisiana for the 2008 crop year.

This report presents estimates of projected production costs for the production of cotton, soybeans, corn, milo and wheat in Northeast Louisiana for the 2008 crop year.

This report provides estimates of planting cost investment per acre for various sugarcane phases of production in 2006.

The report presents cost estimates for sugarcane production in Louisiana for the 2006 crop year. Cost estimates are included for all phases of sugarcane production including seedbed preparation, planting, plant-cane and stubble crop operations and harvest. Whole farm projected income and expense statements are also included for harvest of sugarcane through second, third and fourth stubble (ratoon) crops.

This report presents estimates of production costs for cotton, soybeans, corn, milo and wheat in the Red River and Central areas of Louisiana for the 2006 crop year.

This report presents estimates of projected production costs for the production of cotton, soybeans, corn, milo and wheat in Northeast Louisiana for the 2006 crop year.

This report presents estimates of production costs for rice production in Louisiana for the 2006 crop year. Cost estimates are included for typical rice production systrems including conventional tillage, stale seedbed, production in rotation and fallow, as well as production of conventional and herbicide-resistant varieties. Production cost estimates are also included for production of soybeans, wheat and sorghum in southwest Louisiana.

This report presents projected cost estimates for sugacane production in Louisiana for the 2008 crop year. Cost estimates are included for all phases of sugarcane production, including seedbed preparation, planting, plant-cane and stubble crop operations and harvest. Whole-farm projected income and expense statements are also included for harvest of sugarcane through second, third and fourth stubble (ratoon) crops.

This report presents estimates of production costs for rice production in Louisiana for the 2008 crop year. Costs estimates are included for typical rice production systems, including conventional tillage, stale seedbed, production in rotation and fallow, as well as production of conventional and herbicide-resistant varieties. Production cost estimates are also included for soybeans, wheat and sorghum in Southwest Louisiana.

The Enterprise Budget and Breakeven Analysis Calculator is a Excel Spreadsheet that allows users to develop enterprise budgets for a variety of agricultural commodities. The calculator utilizes LSU AgCenter Enterprise Budgets as a basis for making projections regarding production costs but also allows users to provide thier own costs and projections to develop customized budgets. In addition, the calculator will conduct breakeven analysis and determine projected per acre returns.

This article describes the types of insurance policies available to Louisiana agricultural producers.

This report presents estimates of projected production costs for the production of cotton, soybeans, corn, milo and wheat in the Red River and central areas of Louisiana for the 2007 crop year.

This report presents estimates of projected production costs for the production of cotton, soybeans, corn, milo and wheat in Northeast Louisiana for the 2007 crop year.

This report presents estimates of projected costs for crawfish and catfish production in Louisiana for 2007.

This report presents estimates of projected production costs for beef cattle, dairy and forage-crop production in Louisiana for 2007.

The report presents cost estimates for sugarcane production in Louisiana for the 2007 crop year. Cost estimates are included for all phases of sugarcane production including seedbed preparation, planting, plant-cane and stubble crop operations and harvest. Whole farm projected income and expense statements are also included for harvest of sugarcane through second, third and fourth stubble (ratoon) crops.

The Louisiana Rice Share Rent Evaluation Model was developed to assist rice producers in the evaluation of producer and landlord returns for share rent arrangements on their rice farming operations. The model is an Excel spreadsheet which allows for the estimation of net returns per planted acre for both grower and landlord / waterlord for alternative rental arrangments.

The focus of this issue is the nonruminant farm animal, which includes chickens, horses and pigs. The nonruminant animal has an uncomplicated or simple stomach as compared to the ruminant animal, which has a stomach with four compartments (cattle, sheep and goats). The nonruminant also is referred to as a monogastric.

Within a month, hurricanes Katrina and Rita damaged about 4.4 billion board feet (3.0 billion by Katrina and 1.4 billion by Rita) of sawtimber inventory in Louisiana.

You may just think of them as delicious treats, but some of Louisiana’s traditional favorites for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners also contribute handily to the state’s economy.

Supervisors and line leaders at a poultry plant in Farmervillie are learning about "workplace ethics."