Louisiana Governor Wants Federal Help for Crawfish Farmers

SHREVEPORT, LA - The crawfish crop in Louisiana has been devastated by last summer's drought and farmers are struggling to squeeze out a season this year.

What Help Is Louisiana Asking for?

Governor Jeff Landry has sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack seeking federal assistance to address the recent drought that has affected our domestic crawfish industry and made prices skyrocket. This request would expand the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program to include drought as a cause of loss for farm-raised fish (including crawfish).

Landry Says:

Louisiana leads our country in crawfish production, contributing over $425 million in total to the state’s economy. This year’s drought is affecting our farmers, our economy, and our way of life in Louisiana. I am requesting the federal government provide much-needed relief to our domestic crawfish industry. Our farmers and fishermen have helped bolster our economy for centuries, and now it’s time we have their back.

Louisiana Ag Commissioner Mike Strain tells KEEL News he has also sent a letter to the Congressional delegation from the Bayou State requesting assistance.

Strain says normally the way this assistance works is

Once the season is over, the enumerators or bean counters will be out here looking to see to get the exact numbers to see if we can get some help. We have gotten assistance in the past. But we are also having issues in our shrimp industry.

Strain says prices for shrimp are too low to make it worthwhile for the shrimpers to go out in the gulf.