KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana |Area Farmers Scorched by Drought

Area Farmers Scorched by Drought

June 23, 2005
Reported by Rhonda Kitchens

Over the past few months, Southwest Louisiana has been faced with high temperatures and very little rainfall. The 6-to-12 inch rainfall deficit from last year, has area farmers scorching under the hot summer sun and some may not be able to take the heat.

"I am very seriously contemplating not making a second crop this year for the first year in several years," says Wayne Thibodeaux. That's because, he says "Mother Nature" is drying up his profits.

"We don't have any help from the rainfall which normally makes up about a third of the water on our rice crops."

Leaving him instead, dependent on water pumped from 250 feet below the earth's surface, then sent through underground pipes a half mile down the road and into a canal. A process that costs farmers, like Thibodeaux,  more money.  "Fuel prices have gone up a dollar over last year and we probably use twice as many gallons as we did last year."

But without the diesel operated pump, Thibodeaux says, there would be no way to keep the crops alive. He says, "We have to constantly keep pumping or we'll never catch up on our water situation."

And for the already waivering market, the added expense may be the last straw for some Southwest Louisiana farmers. "We've been in a critical stage the last couple of years with low profit margins and inputs just keep going up and then you get a situation like this year with the added fuel costs that, I just don't see how this area is going to maintain rice farming if something doesn't happen either higher prices or help from somewheres else."

Leaving an important piece of Louisiana culture wilting under the hot summer sun.