This crawfish season is among the most questionable in the Bayou State after the oppressive heat and drought of 2023. LSU AgCenter Crawfish Specialist Todd Fontenot said conditions have made it extremely difficult for the state’s favorite crustacean crop to thrive.
“It does look like it’s going to be a later-than-normal season. We’re anticipating yields to be off somewhat, but how much we don’t know that at this time,” said Fontenot.
Crawfish normally lay eggs in August but the drought dried out those areas where they normally retreat to reproduce.
Fontenot said many crawfish farmers made adjustments, for example, those who rotate from rice to crawfish, he said they irrigated post-harvest.
“A lot of producers did have to spend that extra money to flush those fields, to keep them wet to keep that stubble growing. We’re hoping in those situations that they are not going to see as big as an effect,” said Fontenot.
On the bright side, Fontenot said the mild winter we’ve had so far has improved conditions for crawfish. But he’s quick to point out that for some farmers salinity issues and lack of rice stubble have devastated their mudbug crop.
“Mother Nature throws these curve balls, and we don’t have any control over them. We’re just going to keep hoping and checking and praying it will be a good year for the producers,” said Fontenot.
Fontenot said if you’re already craving crawfish, prepare for sticker shock due to the initial lack of supply.
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