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The U.S. Department of Agricultures Sugarcane
Research Unit in Houma is one of several Louisiana farm- and
seafood-related interests to get additional money through a recent
congressional appropriation.
Ed Richard, research leader at the laboratory, said the
local sugarcane laboratory traditionally receives about $1.7 million
annually. However, through the 2002 Agriculture and Rural Development
appropriations bill that breezed through Congress and was signed into law
on Wednesday, the facility will receive an extra $480,000 in the next
fiscal year.
Some of the money will be used to help area farmers
implement new harvesting techniques such as the "green cane"
method, an alternative to burning sugarcane leaves in the field as the
crop is prepared for transport to the mill.
Leaves are excess material on the plant and contain no
sugar content. Because of their extra weight, leaves are burned off the
plant in order to increase the crops yield and reduce transportation
costs. There are other benefits as well.
But the longtime practice of burning leaves is a
growing controversy, as more and more residents near sugar fields complain
of health problems from inhaling the smoke during harvest season.
The process was strongly debated during the Louisiana
Environmental Health Associations annual conference in February.
"Were looking at a new harvesting system in
Louisiana," Richard said. "Instead of cutting the cane and
laying it down and burning it, weve had to go to a new harvesting
system that is, to some extent, able to remove leaf material from the
cane."
Richard said the new methods will likely the farmers
reliance on the leave-burning process.
"The harvesters can process about 50 tons of
material an hour. So if you can remove the leaf trash, which is about 20
percent of the crop, that means they harvest more of the stalk, which
contains the sugar."
Richard said as an added benefit, removal of the leaves
aid the mill, because leaf trash hinders the refining process.
"This dry material actually acts as a sponge, it
traps some of the sugar so the mill is not as efficient. The whole system
is not nearly as efficient when you have to handle a lot of the leaf
trash," he said.
The extra money also will help the lab with the
continued development of new varieties of cane that are more efficient to
harvest.
"Instead of the leaf matted tightly, binding to
the stalk, it may be more relaxed so it is easier to pull off of the cane
with a machine," Richard said.
"Were also hoping to find and develop varieties
that can tolerate this mat of leaf litter on top of the field in the
winter months so that we dont see a yield reduction from it."
The added funds also may help to solve another problem.
There is concern about the large amount of leaf trash that doesnt get
burned off the stalk and finds its way onto area roadways as the crop is
transported from field to mill.
"Were also hoping to use the monies to find
ways to accelerate the breakdown of leaf trash that stays on the
road."
In addition, according to Richard, the rising cost of
equipment has limited new purchases at the lab and kept it from adding
personnel. "This influx of additional monies will help us along that
line," he said.
FIGHT FOR FUNDS
Gaining the necessary money for the sugarcane research
station in Houma has become an annual right of passage for the states
congressional delegation.
For years, congressional leaders have attempted to
close the facility over concerns that they might be replicating services
at other facilities.
"Our budgets have been stagnant for a number of
years," said Richard. " Increases in salaries because of
cost-of-living raises, the cost of equipment, the cost of everything went
up, yet that budget stayed stagnant."
In recent years, sugar farmers have witnessed several
new developments in research, some of which have played a part in record
harvests. Richard said those successes have added to the excitement of
what is happening at the lab.
"Weve seen a lot of transitions in the last few
years and more are taking place. I would suspect that the industry hopes
that some day they dont have to burn cane anymore and its going to
take the type of research that were doing, its going to take some
developments from the equipment industry as well."
Prior arguments for maintaining the Houma laboratory
have centered on allowing research on problems that are unique to the
South Louisiana sugarcane farmer.
Now, according to Richard, the lab is taking on more of
a national significance.
"Our mission is not solely for Louisiana. Its
for the nation and much of the research we do and many of the varieties we
develop are used worldwide."
VARIETY OF PROGRAMS
The $480,000 in extra money for the Sugarcane Research
Unit is among $14 million in the recently passed appropriations bill that
will directly benefit Louisiana agriculture and aquaculture interests,
U.S. Sens. John Breaux and Mary Landrieu, who both are Louisiana
Democrats, announced in November.
Overall, the bill covers a variety of farm and food
programs such as crop insurance, international food aid and child
nutrition.
"I am pleased that this bill makes diverse
investments throughout Louisianas agriculture community," Landrieu
said in a prepared statement. "Everything from crop research to pest
control to conservation programs receives much-needed attention."
Breaux said the bill would send money to Louisiana for
several important research programs.
"The legislation approved will benefit farming and
agriculture communities across Louisiana and fund valuable research and
university programs to study crop production, pest management and water
quality," Breaux said.
"In addition, money authorized in this agriculture
bill will go to land grant colleges to support valuable cooperative
extension services to help Louisianians address local land and water
concerns."
In light of the Sept. 11 terrorist tacks on America,
Landrieu suggested the agriculture industry and Congress are starting to
recognize the importance of facing the threat of agro-terrorism.
"The next step is for Congress to make a critical
investment in securing our nations food and water supply, something
every farmer and every consumer alike can appreciate," she said. |