LDAF Commissioner Strain urges federal government to aid crawfish industry
For immediate release: February 29, 2024
Baton Rouge, LA. – The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) urges the federal government to aid Louisiana’s crawfish industry after an unprecedented drought.
On February 2, LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain, DVM, wrote a letter to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack asking that the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP) and/or similar programs be properly funded and instituted to assist the crawfish industry. After meeting and hearing from many in the crawfish industry since the initial letter, Commissioner Strain sent a second letter on February 28 as a follow-up requesting the secretary expand the ELAP to include drought as a cause of loss for the crawfish industry. Three weeks ago, while in Washington, DC, he had the opportunity to bring the issues to the attention of Louisiana’s congressional delegation.
Read both his letters here .
The drought in 2023 was one of the most severe droughts in the history of Louisiana and caused significant damage to the sustainability of the crawfish industry. Lack of water and, in some cases, saltwater intrusion decimated the seed stock and has limited the ability to catch crawfish.
“According to the LSU AgCenter, preliminary estimates of crop loss and damage to Louisiana’s crawfish industry are nearly $140 million,” said Commissioner Strain. “Louisiana’s crawfish industry is more than an economic driver for our state - it is a deep part of our cultural heritage. An economic loss for the crawfish industry also negatively impacts the Louisiana hospitality and tourism industries.”
Commissioner Strain is dedicated to finding assistance for Louisiana’s crawfish industry. He continues to urge our federal partners to grant our requests for aid, and he is working with the Louisiana State Legislature to explore avenues to help our crawfish farmers in the upcoming Legislative Session.
For more information regarding the press release, please contact LDAFCommunications@ldaf.state.la.us. For interview requests, please contact PressSecretary@ldaf.state.la.us .