CONCORDIA PARISH, La. (KNOE) – Louisiana must expand its ports and renew the federal farm bill to protect and grow the state’s economic engine, according to Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner, Dr. Michael Strain.
Strain urged federal lawmakers to unite and pass a comprehensive farm bill that aligns federal policy with the realities that local farmers face daily.
“So if you look at one in three acres of America’s production, and the vast majority of Louisiana’s production is sold beyond our borders,” Strain said. “Sixty-two to 65% of all grain that is sold from the United States to foreign markets comes down the mighty Mississippi River.”
Local agricultural workers and residents say infrastructure improvements and faster shipping routes will directly benefit rural farming communities.
Carolyn Farris, a Concordia Parish resident, noted that reliable port access helps farmers move their harvests to market far more efficiently than standard highway shipping.
“It’ll help the community, but it’ll help the farmers the most because they can get their stuff to the market quicker than if they were trying to just ship it by trucks and trailers,” Farris said.
Strain emphasized that a finalized farm bill will stabilize the agricultural industry and allow rural farms to expand their profits.
“We need a comprehensive farm bill, again, that realigns the rules by which we engage this industry with actually what’s happening on the ground on the farms,” Strain said. “It’s time to pass the farm bill, and we’ve got to quit just fighting over everything and get it done.”
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