[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,75,87,99],{"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43,"_44":45,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6256170,"mediaKeyId","3158137-8990644b497df4c2b0a0971dd2d09993","parentId",3158137,"title","LSU AgCenter presents strategic plan and tallies economic return from research, extension and workforce programs","audioSeconds",2596,"startMs",6800000,"endMs",9396000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3158137-8990644b497df4c2b0a0971dd2d09993&start=6800&end=9396","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3158137-8990644b497df4c2b0a0971dd2d09993/thumbnail_6800000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6256170/Louisiana/LSU-AgCenter-presents-strategic-plan-and-tallies-economic-return-from-research-extension-and-workforce-programs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6256170-789991e46d7016326f871843897f4a91/orig.mp4?Expires=1770047987&Signature=bRmMKxg9eee0-8zImbKViwfFvgQelAP3aJxfgnbySg5AXDIvCqsf3igQGES76lI2hyezNPepXL1Er-mL0-RDSQrqG5CUuSweMi~GgI4aUdmz8F8VapyabI5HKIM7hEbuAcUuST9RZMcFqDyLS6Q3EapbtZ0widsXq~oEqlU1KqX03ZIMrdyU2ZdyDi0Ja8UoRfspORXofx7FBSpZYiriFuyZScbf4m0EZhpxggw30cY36jdAFBdQ9g-r3gUqo24XKh~C27QU42TtLz23PVCRmN6LlZTY-Ny8Mw0GkkhWMFbPZhQmqmvkJJt9IqHSZ9Y-sVOipsaIswfMbLkKX6mrsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana Legislature","date","2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","article","Matt Lee, vice president and dean for agriculture at LSU, presented the LSU AgCenter’s statewide work and strategic plan to the House Agriculture Committee on April 30. Lee emphasized research, extension, plant‑variety development and workforce training as the core drivers of the university’s contributions to Louisiana agriculture.

Lee outlined how the LSU AgCenter’s research expenditures—recently reported at about $106.9 million—translate into economic value for the state. Citing a USDA multiplier, he estimated that roughly $454 million in AgCenter research over five years produced an estimated $9 billion in economic value through higher yields, new varieties, improved disease management and other technology transfer. Lee highlighted several concrete examples: LSU‑developed sugarcane varieties covering a significant share of the state’s acreage and accounting for nearly $972 million in annual economic value for growers, and LSU rice varieties covering about 62% of state acreage and creating roughly $400 million in annual value. He credited long‑running variety programs and station work (rice in Crowley; Dean Lee Research Station in Alexandria and other experiment stations) with raising yields and helping farmers manage pest and disease threats.

Lee described the AgCenter’s extension reach—roughly 1.4 million education contacts in the last year—and youth, workforce and entrepreneurship programs that feed the state’s talent pipeline, including 4‑H, FFA and industry‑certification efforts that provided about 3,500 industry certifications in the last year. He noted a statewide youth reach of more than 117,000 youth and widespread participation in Farm to School programs, and he announced fundraising and recent one‑time legislative investments (about $15 million) that helped laboratory and facility upgrades. Lee also highlighted a recent $20 million digital agriculture grant and emerging proposals to compete for National Science Foundation disaster‑resilience funding.

The presentation framed LSU AgCenter as a statewide resource for applied agricultural science—plant improvement, pest diagnostics, extension outreach and workforce development—and Lee urged continued legislative support for facilities, research personnel and targeted investments that amplify the center’s economic and community benefits. Committee members thanked Lee and noted the AgCenter’s importance to local growers and the state’s broader economy; no committee votes followed the presentation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Agriculture Apr 30, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","LSU AgCenter vice president and dean Matt Lee told the House Agriculture Committee the center’s research and extension work delivers measurable economic value to Louisiana, highlighted variety development and workforce programs and outlined a five‑year strategic plan titled 'Louisiana Solutions, Global Impact.'","taxTitle","Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Louisiana","taxId",20966,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_32":76,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":77,"_40":78,"_42":79,"_44":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6256175,"LDAF commissioner outlines trade, disease, labor and infrastructure pressures in annual report to Ag Committee",3885,2798000,6683000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3158137-8990644b497df4c2b0a0971dd2d09993&start=2798&end=6683","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3158137-8990644b497df4c2b0a0971dd2d09993/thumbnail_2798000.jpg","/articles/6256175/Louisiana/LDAF-commissioner-outlines-trade-disease-labor-and-infrastructure-pressures-in-annual-report-to-Ag-Committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6256175-566d157bf75075b82799c15ce85b7944/orig.mp4?Expires=1770047987&Signature=NwqUtoPuOD7DIvbn21bSeq~dqyyhWeuyHKZ52ZuadnmsP22bKH5IWDQjm0zhCdVN81shkxt~yynNQSbi-hqf8UYO2zwzgaWsPveA93SI8uPDLXUWuaqvCZFh7RMmwlZqxnNpZsNhphU8AjuPFDbLZ3XC-VXGC3jG~2bInrUznUD-PPzlZIaABYJcExuOB~GtLAhJa2iR1PSXBCRi8nD0oNwsLRdj8BcuvV16CKeGwkr6nQ~IvQiCNSXZo4BQGupIIM3kGGVd6k2dBJhaujdWYIUs1tYWV5LVv~gpgOd2BBAYp0q3b3yty7BlNrut68LqhWwmihdipN5txzc~E4RHyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioner Mike Strain delivered the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s annual presentation to the House Agriculture Committee on April 30, outlining a broad set of near‑term pressures and programs affecting state agriculture: international trade and tariffs, federal funding pauses, commodity prices, processing capacity and disease threats.

Strain told members that early executive‑branch changes at the federal level have paused or delayed several USDA funding streams and local purchase programs; he said the pause on local food purchases equated to roughly $16–$18 million over three years and that reimbursement delays to conservation district technicians (NRCS cooperative reimbursements) had left the department awaiting about three months of reimbursement at roughly $150,000 per month. He said federal funding mechanisms that previously helped expand processing capacity (a post‑pandemic federal round to retrofit processing plants) had expired and would require new appropriations.

On processing and inspection, Strain repeated LDAF’s explanation of inspection tiers: federally inspected plants (USDA standards; product can enter interstate and export commerce), state‑inspected plants (state inspectors; intrastate distribution), and custom‑exemption plants (small facilities where product typically returns to the owner; limited on‑site retail or restaurant service allowed but broader commerce restricted). He provided counts and estimates: about 32 custom‑exemption plants (23 performing slaughter) and 15 state‑inspected slaughter plants in Louisiana. Strain reiterated cost and infrastructure figures: mobile USDA‑approved slaughter units roughly $250,000–$300,000; a state plant $5–$10 million; a federal plant $15–$20 million. He also emphasized that federal inspection is fully funded by USDA while state inspection is cost‑shared (USDA pays roughly 50% of state inspection cost).

Strain addressed consolidation and capacity risks in the national processing sector, saying the top four companies process an outsized share of U.S. beef and that past plant closures have caused severe supply disruptions. He said federal efforts to diversify processing capacity have been undertaken but remain an ongoing policy challenge.

Disease and biosecurity were central. Strain reviewed avian influenza and its continuing impacts: he said the recent outbreak had caused large national losses in poultry (he referenced a multi‑million‑bird loss figure during the recent years) and that the disease is now considered endemic in wild birds in some regions, which complicates prevention. He described the particular concern for milk production after the virus mutated to affect cattle in some areas: the virus has been found in milk and in mammary glands in affected herds, and some affected cows lose productive capacity and may later be culled. He noted that human cases remain limited and mostly mild but urged continued surveillance and vaccine research.

On pests, Strain described the department’s unwanted pesticide collection program (which has picked up about 850,000 pounds of obsolete or unwanted pesticides across the state) and LDAF’s work on invasive species (feral hog research and development of a toxicant under EPA review, research on Giant Salvinia biological control, and scale‑control work to protect coastal vegetation). He also raised concerns about foreign investment and ownership trends, including farmland purchases and acquisition of agricultural processors by foreign companies in some cases.

Strain summarized commodity and market data: he cited movements in corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton, discussed fertilizer and natural‑gas price linkages (natural gas prices affect fertilizer costs and can swing rapidly), and highlighted port and export infrastructure projects meant to preserve Louisiana’s role in global grain and food trade. He also gave an overview of aquaculture growth in the state (more than 600,000 acres of combined oyster and crawfish production) and reiterated the economic significance of sugar and timber for the state.

Committee members asked technical and policy questions on processing capacity, export markets, pesticide disposal, imported seafood testing, and chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer. On CWD, Strain clarified testing and quarantine steps after positive cases in pen‑raised animals: trace‑forwards were conducted, three trace‑forward animals tested positive and were euthanized, affected breeder and hunt pens are under five‑year quarantine and subject to progressive testing, and LDAF is running a genetic testing program to identify breeding bucks with inherent resistance traits for longer‑term herd management.

Strain also said some federal inspection and testing programs have not met planned inspection coverage for imported foods; LDAF is piloting laboratory tests for some imported seafood and expects federal legislation and funding to be necessary for broader testing capacity.

The presentation reflected immediate operational concerns (paused federal reimbursements and lab/testing gaps) and longer‑term strategic themes (diversifying processing capacity, building export infrastructure, and research on disease mitigation). Members thanked the commissioner for the briefing and pressed for continued coordination between LDAF, the LSU AgCenter and federal partners.

No formal committee action beyond questions and the LDAF update was taken during the presentation.","Commissioner Mike Strain delivered the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s annual update, detailing paused federal reimbursements, meat‑processing capacity limits, trade and commodity trends, invasive species programs, avian influenza impacts and other issues affecting producers statewide.",{"_32":88,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":89,"_40":90,"_42":91,"_44":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6256180,"Committee approves bill letting certain LDAF commissioned officers buy service weapon at retirement; amendments adopted",368,2387000,2755000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3158137-8990644b497df4c2b0a0971dd2d09993&start=2387&end=2755","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3158137-8990644b497df4c2b0a0971dd2d09993/thumbnail_2387000.jpg","/articles/6256180/Louisiana/Committee-approves-bill-letting-certain-LDAF-commissioned-officers-buy-service-weapon-at-retirement-amendments-adopted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6256180-168c63018765e2d69fdd9a7932cbecec/orig.mp4?Expires=1770047987&Signature=cDKH4~W2ZJkf5aPGMZve8qxDfoZbT5EoPyWAo~NMn4Kb6x4AT-bXApc~Lb1R30vc-ZBXT~BbRQKNXGcEmukofSCcvLIxBVKkjNCPUpkjxym9iMRiQJFiGw269vsfprOhVzBEzKUXBMjnKyXx0KJhR~T1hwnrRlxOtL2i0YISocUl4h6QP3blyDnzrv0tzIxIFypiaq5FZ21gM8uddxJFB18q7e1bDXh3wDaJdJ~yIn6s2oaEOZWKRo7wlv9QhefoSGesWM~XQzdf-C41ba1d95wF46MxJ-GI3iKCrwoV0~AvVHzS4QIl-rt4POU-cbywqbAY~ytZkQIBXHc~uH6MPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 95, carried in the hearing by staff for Representative Robbie Carter and presented by Vice Chair Butler, was considered and advanced by the House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development on April 30 with amendments.

The bill as amended authorizes commissioned officers employed by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry who retire after at least 20 years of active service under the state's retirement system to purchase their service firearm at fair market (depreciated) value, subject to approval by the commissioner. Committee paperwork included an amendment packet (set 2011) containing four amendments; the first three were technical changes and the final amendment provided for an effective date. The committee adopted the amendments and then moved the bill favorably with no recorded objections.

Commissioner Mike Strain told the committee that other state agencies with commissioned officers already allow retirement purchase of service weapons and described the practice as routine and prospective in this bill; examples he cited included state police and wildlife and fisheries officers. He said agencies typically replace weapons every 10–12 years or when equipment recalls occur and that the buyouts are commonly based on a depreciated or trade‑in value. Using an example from the hearing, Strain said a Glock the state pays about $520 for new might have a depreciated value “about $2.50” after a decade of service (an example used to illustrate the low residual valuation approach). Commissioners and members discussed how inclusion of other state agencies or survivors could be handled; staff said the bill was prospective and limited to LDAF commissioned officers as written.

The committee adopted the amendment packet and by voice vote moved HB 95 favorably (no recorded objections). The committee also directed staff to clean up language as appropriate in subsequent drafting if broader coverage across agencies is later desired.

The bill does not appropriate any funding; it authorizes a purchase at fair market (depreciated) value and requires commissioner approval before a firearm may be sold to a retiring officer.","The committee adopted technical amendments and voted to move House Bill 95 favorably out of committee. The bill authorizes certain commissioned officers of the Department of Agriculture and Forestry to purchase their service firearm upon retirement, subject to approval by the commissioner and valuation rules.",{"_32":100,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":101,"_40":102,"_42":103,"_44":104,"_46":105,"_48":106,"_50":107,"_52":108,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":109,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":110,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6256185,"Committee asks state agriculture agency to study federal meat-processing exemption; substitute resolution reported favorably",2206,152000,2358000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3158137-8990644b497df4c2b0a0971dd2d09993&start=152&end=2358","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3158137-8990644b497df4c2b0a0971dd2d09993/thumbnail_152000.jpg","/articles/6256185/Louisiana/Committee-asks-state-agriculture-agency-to-study-federal-meat-processing-exemption-substitute-resolution-reported-favorably","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6256185-146b497a350479d5981389ca800b4259/orig.mp4?Expires=1770047987&Signature=bolXJOzht2la6P8PSRyb8uxDvygrQ4CLUfTvzFXUOH7MTFRVVejpNKDTxkYCvAwABYyCYZF6D-ZcG3RlsWcBOhnfBaIl3jF~4nyqGnv2yeMixL7nquKhHo5q6p9qEWPl~IBUieSlAZbZQOm9ytJx4VcHp~PEmLW9nQx8y1ByDMsIZWs2ujv8pZloBdCo8ePBbPzopCvGub-u77glL0SGtv-23hRd1uMmnkg8HL9KNfUQ~dnLb1aTDgOXIM~q4BIISKdwlNOkVeJkczHufjX8TxokMOveggnqSEA-UxKOy1ywgS43vZ3WV9AXVKtWq3hwILda6lsfCIkhVPFPL5IEKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development on April 30 voted without recorded objection to report favorably a substitute resolution—identified during the hearing as HCR 21—urging the U.S. Congress and asking the commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) to study the federal Processing, Revival, and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act and recommend steps to help small meat processors in Louisiana.

The substitute resolution asks the commissioner and LDAF staff to evaluate how the federal proposal and other measures might enhance operations for small and custom meat processors and to report back to the legislature within a year. Representative Owen, who introduced the resolution at the hearing, said the study was prompted by a small meat processor in Vernon Parish who has built a local business in New Llano but faces constraints tied to federal and state inspection rules.

Commissioner Mike Strain (Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry) told the committee that federal law gives the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) primacy over amenable species (beef, pork, chicken and similar proteins) under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and that Louisiana operates a mix of federal plants, state‑inspected plants and smaller custom‑exemption facilities under a cooperative agreement with USDA. “The federal government pays 100% of the cost [for federal inspection] … state inspection, the federal government pays 50% of the cost,” Strain said, describing the inspection tiers and how meat from federally inspected plants can enter interstate commerce while custom‑exemption plant product generally returns to the owner or is sold only at the processing site in limited retail quantities. He outlined the scale in Louisiana: 32 custom‑exemption plants (23 that perform slaughter), and 15 state‑inspected slaughter plants.

Strain and members discussed practical limits for small operators. Strain said the economics of inspection mean operators generally need a minimum throughput to justify an assigned inspector; he estimated that “you’re probably not going to be able to afford an inspector at a kill rate of 5 per day” and suggested a rough practical threshold “probably 20 or more” head per day to justify inspector cost. He also gave engineering and cost estimates for facilities: USDA‑approved mobile slaughter units roughly $250,000–$300,000; a new state‑inspected slaughter plant $5–10 million; a federal plant $15–20 million, depending on infrastructure and sanitation systems required to meet federal standards.

During consideration, members asked whether a small custom plant could sell to restaurants or in limited retail on‑site; Strain explained that on‑site restaurant processing or retail at the site is allowed under current state and federal rules but custom‑exemption plants cannot put product into broader commerce without meeting state or federal inspection standards. He said retrofitting an older facility to meet state standards is possible but has to be evaluated case‑by‑case.

A representative of industry testified in opposition to the resolution as originally drafted but welcomed the study. Josh Yarborough, director of food safety for Manda Fine Meats and a representative of the Louisiana Meat Processors Association (LAMPFA), told the committee that federally inspected plants and many state‑inspected plants already must comply with extensive federal requirements, and he listed statutes and standards his members follow: the Federal Meat Inspection Act, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), pathogen‑reduction standards, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, and food‑labeling regulations. Yarborough said processors want balanced regulation that protects food safety and public health and expressed concern about unintended consequences if exemptions were expanded without study.

Representative Owen said he had changed the resolution to request a yearlong study by the commissioner and that if the study showed a need to press Congress later he would revisit a direct request to Congress. After discussion Representative Butler (vice chair) moved the substitute be reported favorably; there was no recorded objection and the substitute was reported favorably to the full House committee.

The committee did not adopt a new regulatory regime or change inspection rules; it voted to refer the substitute resolution and to ask LDAF for a study and recommendations.

For now, no legislative change was adopted. The resolution's referral to LDAF is a step that will produce a report to the committee on the feasibility, costs, and public‑safety implications of changes urged by the federal Processing, Revival, and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act and related proposals.

The committee hearing included multiple follow‑up questions from members about staffing, inspector costs, where small processors sell product, and whether federal funding programs exist to retrofit plants; Commissioner Strain said a federal retrofit program existed recently but the round of that funding has expired and would require new congressional appropriations to be available again.

Votes at a glance: the committee voted to report the substitute resolution favorably (motion to report favorably adopted; no recorded objections).","The House Agriculture Committee voted to report favorably a substitute resolution asking the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry to study a federal proposal intended to ease operations for small meat processors and return with recommendations after one year.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

LSU AgCenter presents strategic plan and tallies economic return from research, extension and workforce programs

LDAF commissioner outlines trade, disease, labor and infrastructure pressures in annual report to Ag Committee

Committee approves bill letting certain LDAF commissioned officers buy service weapon at retirement; amendments adopted

Committee asks state agriculture agency to study federal meat-processing exemption; substitute resolution reported favorably