BATON ROUGE, La. (RFD News) — Louisiana sugarcane producers are expecting another strong crop, but the spread of the invasive pasture mealybug is becoming a growing concern for the industry.
Sugarcane acreage has steadily increased in Louisiana for more than a decade, with another 5,000 acres expected this year.
While sugar prices remain below the highs seen a few years ago, LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois says the market has stabilized: “Sugar prices are off their high from a couple of years ago, but they have stabilized and crept up a small, small bit. So prices are decent.”
Rising input costs are also a concern, but researchers say the pasture mealybug poses an even greater threat. The invasive pest, which is native to Australia and South Asia, has now been confirmed in 14 Louisiana parishes and has also been documented in Mexico and Central America.
LSU AgCenter entomologist Blake Wilson says the pest has the potential to cause significant losses: “The pest potential is very high. Some fields I’ve seen this year aren’t even going to be harvested. It’s a complete crop loss.”
Farmers are expected to begin planting cane and applying ripener in the coming weeks ahead of harvest. Some mills plan to begin grinding Sept. 15, with this year’s crop estimated at 550,000 acres.
