Weather to blame for crawfish price increase

LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - The roller coaster we’ve been on with the weather could be affecting your wallet if you’re a crawfish fan.

Burt Tietje, owner of Tallgrass Farms says in his 25 years, this has been the strangest crawfish season yet.

“We’ve had week after week of cloudy rainy weather,” Tietje said.

The cold weather has had a negative impact on farmer consumption.

“If the water is cold, the crawfish are sluggish. Their metabolism is slow," Tietje said. "When the water heats up, their metabolism picks up. They move more, they eat more, they move to the traps.”

Tietje says this time last year, he supplied 8,457 pounds of crawfish. This year, he’s only caught 2,828 pounds. This makes his catch to date 68% less than what he caught last year.

So, what does this mean for you?

“If there are more buyers chasing after a fewer number of crawfish the price goes up," Tietje said. "Simple as that.”

And for the cost to lower, the sun needs to reappear.

“One day is not going to do it," Tietje said. "We’re going to have to have a week of days like this.”

However, Tietje says to not give up hope.

“The supply is coming up slowly. Pray for more warm summer days and we’ll get you your crawfish,” Tietje said.

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