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Louisiana:
Rice Prices and Acreage Up
By Bruce Schultz
LSU AgCenter
Baton Rouge, Louisiana (April
25, 2008) - Despite predictions by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, LSU AgCenter experts say 2008 rice acreage likely will be up in
Louisiana.
A low worldwide supply of rice has led to a dramatic
increase in prices, according to LSU AgCenter rice specialist Dr. Johnny
Saichuk.
“In the past week or so we’ve received a number of calls
from people who had not intended to grow rice this year, but because of the
price being so attractive, they’re getting back into it,” Saichuk said.
Rice is selling for around $30 for a 152-pound barrel –
nearly double what it sold for last year.
 Traditional
rice-growing parishes such as Acadia, Evangeline and Vermillion could see a
10 to15 percent increase in rice acreage, the experts say.
Dr. Steve Linscombe, director of the LSU AgCenter’s Rice
Research Station at Crowley, said farmers have a strong, positive attitude.
“They’re more upbeat than I’ve ever seen them,” he said.
Linscombe said many farmers are draining crawfish ponds
earlier to plant rice. “We’re picking up acreage every day,” he said.
Dr. Ron Levy, LSU AgCenter county agent in Acadia
Parish, said farmers who had planned to grow soybeans are considering a
switch to rice because soybean seed is scarce and growing soybeans has a
higher risk than growing rice.
Many fields that have not been in rice production for
several years, including fields that experienced salt damage following
Hurricane Rita, are going back into production.
These fields need work before planting, Saichuk said. It
is late in the planting season, and some farmers are rushing to get their
fields planted.
“We’re trying to advise them to take their time and
prepare the seedbeds,” he said. “And yes, they may miss the best planting
dates. But let’s get the crop in and get a stand and give it a fair chance.”
While most rice farmers can expect to make a profit this
year, high prices are offset by the rising costs of fuel and fertilizer.
“Fertilizer this year has tripled,” Saichuk said. “It
used to be one of those routine figures we didn’t worry about – we worried
about herbicides and insecticides.”
Eddie Eskew, LSU AgCenter county agent in Jefferson
Davis Parish, said he expects only small acreage increases in his area this
year.
“The margin of profit is still so low, they’re just not
gambling,” Eskew said of farmers in his area.
St. Landry Parish farmer Kenneth Olivier has planted
rice on a field that grew grain sorghum last year. He employed a no-till
method, meaning the sorghum stubble was left in the field. This helps cut
down on costs, he said.
 “Any
time you run a tractor, you’ve got cost involved,” Olivier said. “It’s not
just diesel. It’s the cost of the tractor, the cost of labor. We’re trying
to reduce that as much as possible.”
A recent cold snap injured young rice planted earlier
this season, but warmer temperatures will help it recover, Saichuk said.
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