While assessment of total agricultural damages from the flooding near Baton Rouge LA will await a more comprehensive look once people and animals are safe and roads are safe to travel, an initial assessment of potential losses from the second rice crop could be as much as $14 million, according to an article in AgWeb today. As a result, rice futures went up sharply on commodity markets. Up to 1 million acres of soybeans could also be affected. Other crops may have benefited from the moisture, especially away from the worst-hit areas. Assessment of other crops will take time before the full damage extent is known.
