Ida Blows Up Trouble for Ag

Sep 3, 2021

Hurricane Ida has left devastation in her wake, and that includes the agriculture industry.

Long story short… she’s idled the largest producer of glyphosate, blew ag exports off course, and shuttered sugar plants.

First up: Bayer Crop Science’s Luling, La., glyphosate plant remained offline as of Monday after a small emergency crew sheltered in place in the locked-down facility.

But the bigger story is the shipping delays. The storm’s 150 mph winds have impacted grain shipping facilities in the Port of South Louisiana, the largest grain port in the U.S. More than 50% of all U.S. grain exports annually pass through the key export area along the lower Mississippi.

And finally: Power line damage has kept two large sugar refineries offline, and reports of sugarcane damage have packed a punch to the sugar industry. As the second-largest producer behind Florida, Louisiana’s sugar industry is important for supply, and the industry is waiting for agronomists and farmers to fully assess the situation in the field.