Louisiana's drastic crawfish shortage leads US congressman to call for federal aid

Published 2024년 2월 9일

Tridge summary

Louisiana is facing a severe shortage of crawfish due to a drought in 2023 and a recent freeze, leading to what experts predict to be the worst season ever. U.S. Representative Clay Higgins has called for federal financial relief due to a significant decrease in crawfish production across 45,000 acres of ponds, with potential losses estimated at nearly USD 140 million. This is a major blow to the state's USD 230 million crawfish industry. Higgins is also advocating for stronger protections against imported crawfish to ensure fair competition and consumer safety.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Experts are predicting a drastic shortage of crawfish in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and in response, U.S. Representative Clay Higgins (R-Louisiana) is seeking federal financial relief.“It’s going to be the worst season ever,” Louisiana State University AgCenter Representative Mark Shirley told the Louisiana Radio Network. “The population is just not there.”A severe drought in 2023, as well as a recent freeze, has had a devastating impact on domestic crawfish production, resulting in limited availability and higher prices. In a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Higgins asked for federal relief.“The 2023 drought has led to an alarming decrease in crawfish production across approximately 45,000 acres of ponds,” Higgins said. “This has been compounded by a recent freeze event, worsening challenges faced by our farmers. The Louisiana State University’s Agriculture Center estimated the potential losses to be nearly USD 140 million [EUR 130 million] due to ...

Source: Seafoodsource