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| Directions l American Farm Bureau l Farm Bureau Bank l Privacy Policy l Contact Us l Help l Site Map |
The Voice of Louisiana Agriculture
Welcome to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
| Directions l American Farm Bureau l Farm Bureau Bank l Privacy Policy l Contact Us l Help l Site Map |
Welcome to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
Welcome to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
The Voice of Louisiana Agriculture
NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana sugar industry should gear up to fill the void that will be
created when Florida’s largest sugar grower goes out of business six years from now.
Ronnie Anderson, president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau,
said the closing of U.S. Sugar Corp. in 2014 would provide
Louisiana sugar producers with “a tremendous opportunity”
to grow more sugarcane to fulfill demand. Florida-based
sugar farming conglomerate said it would release 187,000
acres back to the state, allowing the land to revert to its
natural state. The company plans to farm the land for the
next six years, give it to the state and then go out of business.
“That’s a lot of sugarcane land that will be taken out of
production,” Anderson told his board of directors
Wednesday during a meeting that kicked off the Farm
Bureau’s 86th annual meeting here. “The demand for
sugar won’t fall off just because U.S. Sugar isn’t producing it.
We here in Louisiana have the infrastructure to fill that gap
and I think our (sugar) producers can really benefit from this
news from Florida right now.”
USA Today reported Wednesday that U.S. Sugar and the
state of Florida reached a tentative $1.57 billion agreement to allow a 300-square-mile tract
of land in the Everglades to revert to natural habitat. It is being called one of the largest
environmental conservation initiatives ever. About 300,000 acres in Florida would still be
used for sugarcane production, but the move would make Louisiana the undisputed leader
in sugarcane production in the country.
“Louisiana and Florida always were neck-and-neck in terms of sugar acres planted, but
Florida generally out-paced us in sugar yield,” said Jackie Theriot, Farm Bureau secretary-
treasurer and a sugar specialist from St. Martinville. “The amount of land in U.S. Sugar’s
move accounts for about 35 percent of Florida’s total cane production.
“This year Louisiana has around 450,000 acres of sugarcane in production,” Theriot
continued. “I think many sugar growers who are growing grain right now to take advantage
of higher prices could be persuaded to grow more sugarcane in the future.”
Sugar farmers and industry leaders said the Florida-U.S. Sugar land deal could serve as a
catalyst for more production in Louisiana, including benefits beyond the turn row.
“More cane in Louisiana could mean greater investment in sugar mills, sugar refineries and
biofuels plants,” said Jim Harper, a sugar farmer from Cheneyville. “High energy costs
demand that we look to agriculture as a source of renewable energy. Sugarcane biomass
processing plants can generate ethanol and, in turn, co-generate electricity. Our industry
stands to benefit tremendously if we make the investment to capitalize on it.”
Louisiana currently has one sugar mill in Lacassine, in Jeff Davis Parish, which uses
bagasse, a sugarcane waste product, to generate cellulosic ethanol.
More than 1,000 farmers and their families will be in the Crescent City this week for the
annual meeting of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation. The convention is being held at
the New Orleans Marriott.
Over the next four days more than 200 voting delegates to the convention will work to set
policy for the farm group for the next 12 months. Farmers will attend commodity
conferences and hear remarks from U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, who’ll speak to farmers
attending the Louisiana Farm Bureau Labor Conference Friday.
created when Florida’s largest sugar grower goes out of business six years from now.
Ronnie Anderson, president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau,
said the closing of U.S. Sugar Corp. in 2014 would provide
Louisiana sugar producers with “a tremendous opportunity”
to grow more sugarcane to fulfill demand. Florida-based
sugar farming conglomerate said it would release 187,000
acres back to the state, allowing the land to revert to its
natural state. The company plans to farm the land for the
next six years, give it to the state and then go out of business.
“That’s a lot of sugarcane land that will be taken out of
production,” Anderson told his board of directors
Wednesday during a meeting that kicked off the Farm
Bureau’s 86th annual meeting here. “The demand for
sugar won’t fall off just because U.S. Sugar isn’t producing it.
We here in Louisiana have the infrastructure to fill that gap
and I think our (sugar) producers can really benefit from this
news from Florida right now.”
USA Today reported Wednesday that U.S. Sugar and the
state of Florida reached a tentative $1.57 billion agreement to allow a 300-square-mile tract
of land in the Everglades to revert to natural habitat. It is being called one of the largest
environmental conservation initiatives ever. About 300,000 acres in Florida would still be
used for sugarcane production, but the move would make Louisiana the undisputed leader
in sugarcane production in the country.
“Louisiana and Florida always were neck-and-neck in terms of sugar acres planted, but
Florida generally out-paced us in sugar yield,” said Jackie Theriot, Farm Bureau secretary-
treasurer and a sugar specialist from St. Martinville. “The amount of land in U.S. Sugar’s
move accounts for about 35 percent of Florida’s total cane production.
“This year Louisiana has around 450,000 acres of sugarcane in production,” Theriot
continued. “I think many sugar growers who are growing grain right now to take advantage
of higher prices could be persuaded to grow more sugarcane in the future.”
Sugar farmers and industry leaders said the Florida-U.S. Sugar land deal could serve as a
catalyst for more production in Louisiana, including benefits beyond the turn row.
“More cane in Louisiana could mean greater investment in sugar mills, sugar refineries and
biofuels plants,” said Jim Harper, a sugar farmer from Cheneyville. “High energy costs
demand that we look to agriculture as a source of renewable energy. Sugarcane biomass
processing plants can generate ethanol and, in turn, co-generate electricity. Our industry
stands to benefit tremendously if we make the investment to capitalize on it.”
Louisiana currently has one sugar mill in Lacassine, in Jeff Davis Parish, which uses
bagasse, a sugarcane waste product, to generate cellulosic ethanol.
More than 1,000 farmers and their families will be in the Crescent City this week for the
annual meeting of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation. The convention is being held at
the New Orleans Marriott.
Over the next four days more than 200 voting delegates to the convention will work to set
policy for the farm group for the next 12 months. Farmers will attend commodity
conferences and hear remarks from U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, who’ll speak to farmers
attending the Louisiana Farm Bureau Labor Conference Friday.
La. Sugar Growers Could Fill Gap
Created By Florida Land Deal
Created By Florida Land Deal
By MICHAEL DANNA
FB News Staff Writer
FB News Staff Writer
| FB NEWS Photo by Lauren Thom Louisiana sugarcane being harvested in Iberia Parish. |
