Louisiana, the leading sugarcane producer, is facing some hurdles this year

Louisiana leads the nation in sugarcane production but rising costs and shifting consumer trends are creating challenges for farmers.

At the American Sugarcane League’s annual meeting, experts discussed sugar prices, demand, the Farm Bill, and potential policy changes that could impact the industry.

This Week in Louisiana Agriculture gives us a look at what lies ahead for the state’s $4 billion industry.

Related Stories
Texas A&M economist John Robinson says speculative buying helped push ICE cotton futures sharply higher.
For farmers, better data may not solve every local rail problem, but it can make service failures easier to document.
Smaller exporter crops and lower global stocks could keep wheat markets sensitive to weather, trade, and shifts in demand.
Emily Oberbroeckling says producers in northeast Iowa have made strong planting progress while continuing to monitor moisture conditions.
Jeff Frazier of Scoular discusses the early High Plains canola harvest, acreage growth in Kansas and Oklahoma, and theoutlook for planting and production.
State agriculture leaders say the new “Nine Lakes of East Tennessee” designation could boost tourism and industry investment.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Pressure to lower gas prices across the Golden State could be the saving grace of this year’s corn harvest. California may soon be the final U.S. state to approve E-15 sales.
Both Congressional Ag Committees took up the bill over the summer, but there’s no word on when the Senate could move forward; it does expire on September 30.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
From soil to harvest. Top Crop is an all-new series about four of the best farmers in the world—Dan Luepkes, of Oregan, Illinois; Cory Atley, of Cedarville, Ohio; Shelby Fite, of Jackson Center, Ohio; Russell Hedrick, of Hickory, North Carolina—reveals what it takes for them to make a profitable crop. It all starts with good soil, patience, and a strong planter setup.