Agriculture commissioner describes wildfire, labor and market pressures; requests equipment and policy help
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Summary
The Agriculture & Forestry commissioner told the committee that recent storms and drought have left timber and farm sectors strained, wildfire activity is above normal, and H‑2B visa caps are disrupting crawfish peeling plants; he requested additional equipment and outlined federal and trade pressures on seafood and crops.
The Department of Agriculture and Forestry presented its FY27 executive budget to the committee and Commissioner (Doctor) Strain gave an extended, issue‑focused briefing on the state of the sector.
Paige Filion of the House Fiscal Division summarized the department’s FY27 recommendation at about $91.4 million, with statutory dedications, state general fund and federal funds making up the mix. Commissioner Strain then described mounting operational and market pressures across forestry, row crops and seafood.
On wildfires and firefighting resources, Strain said the state has seen an uptick in fires this season. “Since the first of the year, we've had, a 113 fires, which is about 15% of our normal number of fires that we have,” he said, and described recent multi‑day incidents that burned dozens of acres and strained equipment. He said $9,090,000 previously budgeted for equipment and major repairs in House Bill 1 was rescinded and asked the committee to consider funding for an estimated 25 heavy bulldozers, noting a 2‑year lead time to bring such units into service.
Strain warned about the labor shortage in processing plants: because the H‑2B cap has been met, he said, "we cannot get these workers... many of our peelers have gotten 0," which has forced some plants to curtail operations and threatens the crawfish supply chain. He said state officials have pressed federal agencies and the delegation but described the federal response as unsatisfactory.
On seafood and trade, Strain described competitive pressure from imports and evolving tariff policy. He said testing of imported seafood has found banned antibiotics in a small share of samples and that the department is expanding testing and proposing legislation to strengthen record‑keeping and enforcement. "We've done over 400 samples there and we have found florfenfenicol, ciprofloxac, and nitrofuran," he said, and added that current testing covers a narrow set of antibiotics because of lab accreditation and cost constraints.
Strain also outlined export and market‑development work: trade missions and outreach with buyers overseas, and efforts to promote Louisiana seafood and commodities abroad. He told members the department is pursuing legislative measures (including a proposal to use 2.5% of sports wagering funds for testing and promotion) and requested continued committee support for disaster response, fuel and equipment allocations.
Lawmakers pressed the commissioner on specific program cuts, the state’s ability to help clear storm‑damaged timber, and options to assist farmers and processors while federal programs unfold. Strain described a mix of federal grants, SBA loans and USDA programs that can help but said the needs outstrip available federal support.
The committee did not vote on any Agriculture & Forestry budget items during the hearing; staff said they would follow up on specific technical questions and potential supplemental requests.