RICHLAND PARISH, La. (This Week in Louisiana Agriculture) — A new report from Louisiana State University highlighted the weather challenges farmers have faced this year, from winter storms and late freezes to drought conditions.
Winter brought an ice storm to North Louisiana in January, blanketing fields and shutting down roads. Then, a late-season freeze in March damaged corn shortly after planting.
Louisiana corn farmer Corran Branch said recent rains have provided some relief, even as drought conditions continue across much of North Louisiana.
“We’ve got these rains here in the past few weeks, and it has really helped us out a lot,” Branch said.
The moisture arrived at a critical time. Branch said he was forced to replant 450 acres of corn after temperatures dropped into the 20s in mid-March.
Corn was not the only crop affected. The LSU report also found that wheat growers also reported significant damage from weather-related challenges.
