Hurricane Ida does more than $500 million to Louisiana agriculture

Hurricane Ida does more than $500 million to Louisiana agriculture
ABC News Radio
September 27th, 2021 | NAFB

Hurricane Ida did more than a half-billion dollars’ worth of damage to Louisiana agriculture.

The LSU Ag Center said the Category 4 hurricane’s total damage to Louisiana’s agriculture industry is at least $584 million.

Economist Kurt Guidry told The Hill that about half the damage is to the timber industry, the top-grossing ag commodity in the Bayou State. Over 168,000 acres of timberland were affected by the hurricane’s winds, which caused an estimated $300 million in damage.

The Ag Center report said along with the timber, 35 percent of the damage is estimated to be in infrastructure losses such as equipment. Other commodities like sugarcane, horticulture, and livestock were also affected by Ida. Sugarcane took a 35 million dollar hit, while horticulture also saw approximately $9.5 million in damages.

Livestock losses are currently low, with only 22 recorded livestock deaths so far. The overall dollar amount in damage also includes estimates for future costs affecting production and reduced crop yields brought on by the storm.

Share:

© 2024 Nebraska Rural Radio Association. All rights reserved. Republishing, rebroadcasting, rewriting, redistributing prohibited. Copyright Information