Photo by Bruce Schultz/LSU AgCenter
Rice waits to be harvested by the combine in the background on a field on the Michael Fruge farm near Eunice.
Weather deals blow to Louisiana rice harvest
Thu, 08/29/2019 - 10:00am
CROWLEY — Farmers probably would like to forget the 2019 rice crop, which has been plagued by low yields.
Bad weather from the start of the growing season through harvest is being blamed.
“Growing conditions have been less than ideal,” said LSU AgCenter rice specialist Dustin Harrell. “We didn’t have good conditions at any one point.”
Harrell estimated yields are off by 15% to 20% from the average harvest.
Yields range from the mid-20 barrel to the mid 60-barrel range, but much of it is between 35 and 43 barrels. “Most of it is below 45,” he said.
