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Started By
Message
LSU Ag Crawfish Report
Posted on 1/25/24 at 9:37 am
Posted on 1/25/24 at 9:37 am
I may be late on this but just sharing what I just read on the web from:
Mark Shirley
Crawfish Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Specialist
LSU AgCenter and LA Sea Grant
"Here are a few more thoughts and observations based on what I’ve seen to date (early January).
The drought and heat during the summer and fall caused very high mortality of the carryover crawfish and brood stock. Those are the crawfish that the farmers should be catching in December, January, and February. I don’t see the catch picking anytime soon, especially considering the freezing temperatures expected thru January. Some farmers still have not put out traps mainly because test traps show no sign of crawfish.
I’ve dip netted in quite a few ponds and have found very few juvenile crawfish. The ones I do see were likely released from their mother’s tail since the big rain event the region had on December 1, 2023. Given the cold water temperature in January, their growth will be slow and not reach harvest size until late March or April. But even when these crawfish are big enough to catch, there is not a large population of them. The catch may pick up for a short while in April and May but will not be sustainable for the entire spring. The spring crop will be a fraction of what is normally caught.
In addition to the extremely short supply of crawfish, farmers are also seeing their production costs significantly increase. Pumping costs for flooding and maintaining a flood have tripled and, in some cases, quadrupled. Combined with the rise in labor cost, bait, and supplies, this will be a very expensive crop to produce.
Even with record high prices, I’m afraid many farmers will not cover their production costs of pumping, labor, bait, fuel and indirect costs for this season.
As mentioned in the LSU Drought Impact Report that came out right after Thanksgiving, there were over 45,000 acres that could not flood up due to a lack of water or canal water being too salty. Another 45,000+ acres, though flooded, will not produce any crawfish. The remaining balance will see a significant reduction in total catch. These were the predictions in November. From what I’ve seen since then, the situation is even worse now.
I realize I am painting a pretty dismal picture of the 2024 crawfish crop. But this is what I’m seeing.
Another issue is that farmers will have to stock their fields in May and June to prepare for next year. I am concerned that brood stock will be hard to come by and will be expensive. It will probably result in less acres being harvested in the 2025 season.
Mark Shirley
Crawfish Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Specialist
LSU AgCenter and LA Sea Grant
In summary this will not only affect farmers but also everyone involved in the crawfish industry. If you are able, please support your local farmers, docks, and boiling houses as this will be a really tough year for everyone involved.
Thanks everyone"
Mark Shirley
Crawfish Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Specialist
LSU AgCenter and LA Sea Grant
"Here are a few more thoughts and observations based on what I’ve seen to date (early January).
The drought and heat during the summer and fall caused very high mortality of the carryover crawfish and brood stock. Those are the crawfish that the farmers should be catching in December, January, and February. I don’t see the catch picking anytime soon, especially considering the freezing temperatures expected thru January. Some farmers still have not put out traps mainly because test traps show no sign of crawfish.
I’ve dip netted in quite a few ponds and have found very few juvenile crawfish. The ones I do see were likely released from their mother’s tail since the big rain event the region had on December 1, 2023. Given the cold water temperature in January, their growth will be slow and not reach harvest size until late March or April. But even when these crawfish are big enough to catch, there is not a large population of them. The catch may pick up for a short while in April and May but will not be sustainable for the entire spring. The spring crop will be a fraction of what is normally caught.
In addition to the extremely short supply of crawfish, farmers are also seeing their production costs significantly increase. Pumping costs for flooding and maintaining a flood have tripled and, in some cases, quadrupled. Combined with the rise in labor cost, bait, and supplies, this will be a very expensive crop to produce.
Even with record high prices, I’m afraid many farmers will not cover their production costs of pumping, labor, bait, fuel and indirect costs for this season.
As mentioned in the LSU Drought Impact Report that came out right after Thanksgiving, there were over 45,000 acres that could not flood up due to a lack of water or canal water being too salty. Another 45,000+ acres, though flooded, will not produce any crawfish. The remaining balance will see a significant reduction in total catch. These were the predictions in November. From what I’ve seen since then, the situation is even worse now.
I realize I am painting a pretty dismal picture of the 2024 crawfish crop. But this is what I’m seeing.
Another issue is that farmers will have to stock their fields in May and June to prepare for next year. I am concerned that brood stock will be hard to come by and will be expensive. It will probably result in less acres being harvested in the 2025 season.
Mark Shirley
Crawfish Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Specialist
LSU AgCenter and LA Sea Grant
In summary this will not only affect farmers but also everyone involved in the crawfish industry. If you are able, please support your local farmers, docks, and boiling houses as this will be a really tough year for everyone involved.
Thanks everyone"
Posted on 1/25/24 at 9:51 am to SmokedBrisket2018
I could take a year off. Oh well.
Posted on 1/25/24 at 10:27 am to SmokedBrisket2018
quote:
If you are able, please support your local farmers, docks, and boiling houses as this will be a really tough year for everyone involved.
I wish them all the best. I really do. But I'm personally not paying over $300 for a sack of crawfish. I mean, you just got done telling us there won't be any crawfish anyway (which sucks btw) so how can I support them when they don't have anything to sell?
Posted on 1/25/24 at 12:43 pm to SmokedBrisket2018
Eat more shrimp
Posted on 1/25/24 at 12:53 pm to SmokedBrisket2018
That’s an interesting report, I had a crawfish wholesaler tell me that they were absolutely flooded with crawfish and that the market was over crowded. Seems like that is about to change
Posted on 1/25/24 at 1:12 pm to SmokedBrisket2018
quote:
If you are able, please support your local farmers, docks, and boiling houses as this will be a really tough year for everyone involved.
That’s gonna be a NO for me dog
Posted on 1/25/24 at 3:52 pm to SmokedBrisket2018
Well, I know what I’m giving up for lent now.
Posted on 1/25/24 at 4:06 pm to CalcasieuTiger
He told you they were flooded with crawfish presently? Or last year?
Posted on 1/25/24 at 4:07 pm to SmokedBrisket2018
Best part is I slipped the Duke brothers a fake report saying the drought has not affected the crawfish crop.
Posted on 1/25/24 at 5:11 pm to CalcasieuTiger
quote:
That’s an interesting report, I had a crawfish wholesaler tell me that they were absolutely flooded with crawfish and that the market was over crowded. Seems like that is about to change
No he didn’t
Or he’s lying
The price is $8 at the farm for a reason and it’s not because they are in such demand
Posted on 1/25/24 at 7:04 pm to SmokedBrisket2018
quote:
please support your local farmers, docks, and boiling houses
Thoughts and prayers sent.
Posted on 1/25/24 at 10:42 pm to SmokedBrisket2018
No way am I paying to support them. Ribeyes and all the fixins for the foreseeable future.
Posted on 1/26/24 at 6:23 am to KillTheGophers
a guy a grew up with has a pond in Houma. He is not catching record numbers, but he is catching and they are decent bugs.
Posted on 1/26/24 at 7:00 am to GeauxTigers0107
quote:
quote:
If you are able, please support your local farmers, docks, and boiling houses as this will be a really tough year for everyone involved.
I wish them all the best. I really do. But I'm personally not paying over $300 for a sack of crawfish. I mean, you just got done telling us there won't be any crawfish anyway (which sucks btw) so how can I support them when they don't have anything to sell?
Posted on 1/26/24 at 7:38 am to OTIS2
What sucks is if you live outside LA, people don’t know what a good deal is and once places raise prices from a bad year, they never go down
Posted on 1/26/24 at 7:41 am to dallastiger55
quote:
What sucks is if you live outside LA, people don’t know what a good deal is and once places raise prices from a bad year, they never go down
Good. Y’all should pay more for culturally appropriating us
Posted on 1/26/24 at 8:25 am to SmokedBrisket2018
Fat pigs get slaughtered. Crawfish farmers have been over charging the last few years and blaming different reasons.
Posted on 1/26/24 at 8:33 am to Jack Daniel
quote:
Crawfish farmers have been over charging the last few years and blaming different reasons.
another dumbass who doesn't know how the crawfish market works
The price was under $2/pound the last 2 years during lent
Posted on 1/26/24 at 8:36 am to dallastiger55
quote:
people don’t know what a good deal is and once places raise prices from a bad year, they never go down
No they won't
Demand is going to suffer big time with these high prices and next year or the year after when supply gets back to normal the price will be what you've been seeing
Bet you the price in Dallas was cheaper last year than it was in 2021
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