Louisiana Sugarcane Cooperative located in St. Martinville processes sugar from nine parishes. Ag. Division Manager John Hebert said the sugarcane yield from the summers crop were the effects of the drought.
"Based on our five-year average we've seen about a 22 % decrease in yield this year on average,” Hebert said. “There are areas that yielded close to normal. So that does mean we have growers that suffered nearly 50 percent loss."
Hebert said after the season there are new concerns farmers face for the future of the crop.
"Certainly, the financial stability of some of our growers because of such a tremendous hit to their income,” Hebert said.
Sugarcane farmer Mike Melancon of Melancon Farms in Breaux Bridge said they produce about 65,000 tons of cane which is now down 25%.
"We did anticipate this crop being so poor but by mid-summer we knew things weren't good so we had to do something start cutting back,” Melancon said.
Hebert said another concern is the drought affecting next year's crops.
"Our crop that got planted in the summer of 2023,” Hebert said. “There's a lot of crop that hasn't established itself yet."
While Melancon feels this won't carry into next season.
“I think next year's crops still has a lot of potential,” Melancon said. “I don't think the poor crop this year will carry over to the next at least I hope not."
