Crop damage less than feared
Crop damage from wind and rain generated by Hurricane Isaac was much less than feared, according to the LSU AgCenter and County Agent Seab Brown.
"It was less than what we expected," Brown said.
Figures released this week from the Farm Service Agency show the following acreage was planted in crops in Concordia this farming season:
Soybeans, 73,137 acres; corn, 25,387; cotton, 20,286; milo, 17,140; and rice, 10,608.
"Rice acreage seemed to be the most damaged" due to the crop being blown over by winds, Brown said.
"The cotton crop survived pretty well and soybeans are okay as long as they have time to dry out after the rain," he said.
LSU AgCenter county agents and crop specialists spent the past days surveying damage and determined agriculture in the state loss three percent of its pre-storm value, about a $100 million loss. Economist Kurt Guidry said the figure is low when compared with last year's drought damage and with past storms.
He said economic losses to the cotton crop was $11 million, $4 million for rice, $14 million for soybeans and $1.6 million for sweet potatoes.For the full story, subscribe to the The Concordia Sentinel's NEW E-Edition! |
E-mail Story
Print Story
