BREAUX BRIDGE, La. — This week's KATC CRAWDAQ Index update is in St. Martin and St. Mary Parishes.
Back in December, we told you about the LSU AgCenter's predictions on how the summer heat and drought would impact Louisiana agriculture.
See that story here.
That estimated total damage was $1.69 billion. The crawfish industry, alone, was expected to take a hit of $139 million.
At that time, I spoke with president of The Fruit Stand, Floyd Foti, whose outlook wasn't very hopeful.
"Crawfish are going to affect a lot more people than they think," Foti said. "...and it's something that happened with Mother Nature, you know. So, it's not like something really happened. It's just Mother Nature dealt us a pretty tough blow."
This week, I was back in Breaux Bridge, the city considered to be 'The Crawfish Capital of the World,' checking back in with Mr. Foti on how the season is going.
When I asked if it has been as bad as he thought it was going to be, his immediate response was "Absolutely."
Foti says this season was devastating, and he's hoping that the push for government aid will go through and trickle down to businesses beyond farmers.
"Hopefully, they can pass it down to businesses like myself because we took a huge beating. Not only did the farmers do, but a lot of businesses that sell crawfish really got hurt," he said.
After speaking with him, I took a little drive down to the Atchafalaya.
Right across the bridge from Morgan City, in the town of Berwick, is Bayou Lagniappe, a sit down restaurants known for its boiled seafood and bread pudding.
"The main thing is we're a sit-down restaurant. We have several of to-go restaurants, but we're the last of the sit-down restaurants, as of now," said Sandy Lombas, co-owner of Bayou Lagniappe. "People like to come and sit down and eat. Some people like to go, but mainly they like to sit down and eat and enjoy the food. They don't have to clean up their mess. We get to do it for them."
Despite the novelty of her restaurant to the area, Lombas said she fears the impact this year's crawfish season will have on her business.
"Yeah, we're trying. I mean, some restaurants aren't going to make it, and we struggling, like I—this is the first year that I can honestly say that I am nervous that we make it another year, you know. It's—it's that rough," she said.
Despite the struggles, prices are beginning to drop.
To see this week's full report for Lafayette, St. Martin and St. Mary Parishes, click here.
Check back every Thursday night for your crawfish update.
