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   Radio & TV
 Home>News Archive>2009>March>Radio & TV>
Poultry industry has ups and downs for Jackson Parish producer
(Radio News 03/30/09) Tod Hibbard figures he has grown nearly 10 million chickens in the 16 years he has been a poultry producer. Hibbard has eight chicken houses on rolling land in Jackson Parish. He said business was good initially but has had ups and downs over the years. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

Interest in rice farming increases as production costs decrease
(Radio News 03/30/09) Hurricane Ike took some rice fields out of production in southwest Louisiana, but acreage is likely to go up in other parts of the state thanks to renewed interest in the crop brought by decreasing production costs. Experts say the state's overall rice acreage probably will hold steady at around 400,000 acres in production. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

LSU AgCenter agents sampling salinity levels in rice fields
(Radio News 03/30/09) The water that surged into Vermilion Parish during Hurricane Ike has long since retreated, but that water left the soil it flowed over contaminated with salt. LSU AgCenter county agent Stuart Gauthier has been sampling sites around the parish. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

Medium-grain rice acreage to expand in 2009
(Radio News 03/30/09) Louisiana rice acreage likely will see a slight shift in varieties being grown this season. Australia is a major producer of medium-grain rice, but several years of drought has reduced the amount of rice that country is growing. California also has reduced its medium-grain acreage, according to LSU AgCenter rice specialist Dr. Johnny Saichuk, who says those circumstances present opportunities for Louisiana farmers. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

Poultry processing facility set to change hands
(Radio News 03/30/09) The poultry industry is vital to north Louisiana’s economy, but nearly 200 poultry producers in the area may find themselves with empty chicken houses for a while. Pilgrim’s Pride plans to stop operating its poultry processing facility in Farmerville in May, and the plant could see some down time as it transitions to new owners. (Runtime: 60 seconds)
Louisiana poultry industry has setback
Poultry Production
(TV News 03/30/09) Louisiana’s poultry industry suffered a blow when Pilgrim’s Pride announced plans to close it’s northeast Louisiana processing facility. The state is working on a deal to ensure the facility continues operating. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard talked with a grower who is raising his last flock of birds for Pilgrim’s Pride. (Runtime: 1 minute, 16 seconds)
Entomologist bikes for multiple benefits
(Radio News 03/23/09) It is not unusual to see Natalie Hummel in a skirt and heels carrying a bicycle helmet. On many days Hummel bikes to work. Hummel, an LSU AgCenter entomologist, says riding her bike allows her to conveniently fit in 40 minutes of exercise a day. She moved to Baton Rouge from Texas where she was driving close to 100 miles a day. (Runtime: 60 seconds)
Buy local: save resources, support local economy
(Radio News 03/23/09) Have you considered where your food comes from? Not just from farmers and farms -- but where those farms are located and how the food got to you? Emily Neustrom works with the LSU AgCenter’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program and talks about the importance of buying local. (Runtime: 60 seconds)
Variety can revolutionize crop industry
(Radio News 03/23/09) New varieties can revolutionize a crop’s industry. Beauregard is the leading variety of sweet potatoes in Louisiana. After the variety became available in the late 1980s, the state’s sweet potato industry grew, says LSU AgCenter sweet potato researcher Chris Clark. (Runtime: 60 seconds)
Evangeline sweet potato makes up for lack of disease resistance with better taste
(Radio News 03/23/09) Sweet potato breeders recently released a new variety that could rival the long-dominant variety Beauregard. The variety Evangeline was grown commercially last year, and experts say that while it doesn't rival Beauregard's resistance to plant diseases it does excel in taste. (Runtime: 60 seconds)
Agent suggests ways to reduce carbon footprint
(Radio News 03/23/09) Americans leave a large carbon footprint on the Earth. Making small changes can reduce the size of that footprint and help conserve natural resources. LSU AgCenter area housing agent Stephen Picou says a good place to start is by replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, which use 60 percent less energy. (Runtime: 60 seconds)
Ag industry faring better than other sectors of economy
(Radio News 03/16/09) Agriculture revenue has grown in the past five years, according to an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation. Dr. Robert Young says in 2002, the agriculture industry recorded $250 billion in sales. Last year industry sales totaled more than $360 billion. (Runtime: 60 seconds)
Stimulus package includes several provisions for rural America
(Radio News 03/16/09) The economic stimulus package includes several provisions for farmers and rural America. LSU AgCenter economist Dr. Kurt Guidry explains. (Runtime: 60 seconds)
New provisions added to SURE program
(Radio News 03/16/09) The economic stimulus package brings changes to the 2008 farm bill’s disaster assistance program. Under the supplemental revenue assistance or SURE program, agricultural producers would have a revenue guaranty for their commodities based on level of crop insurance. LSU AgCenter economist Dr. Kurt Guidry explains. (Runtime: 60 seconds)