IBERIA PARISH — At Gonsoulin Farms in Iberia Parish, it’s business as usual this harvest season. With about a quarter of their crop already processed, owner and operator Ricky Gonsoulin says things are looking strong so far.
“We're probably par on what we did last year,” Gonsoulin said. “Last year was a very good crop, above average crop, and I'm looking at my numbers right now— at around 33 tons per acre and a little over 7,500 pounds of sugar, which is a really good number at the beginning of harvest. So I'm extremely excited about where the potential of this crop can go.”
For every ton of sugarcane cut, Gonsoulin says he’s getting about 227 pounds of raw sugar— a figure that’s higher than he expected.
Earlier this spring, yellow flies were an issue in the fields, forcing farmers to spray— which can sometimes reduce yield. But Gonsoulin says the crop has since recovered and matured well.
“Right now I'm seeing where the crop has come out of that, and it’s really showing some promising yield potential,” he said.
When it comes to what makes a good harvest, Gonsoulin says the answer comes down to one key factor: weather.
“El Niño just came into play, and that's normally a dry, cool winter,” he said. “Dry, cool winters are very good for the industry. As temperatures start dropping, the plants that you see in the field start shutting down and producing a lot more sugar.”
He explained that the more the plant is stressed, the more sugar it produces. Warm, wet summers help cane grow tall and green, while cooler, drier fall weather helps convert that growth into sugar.
As harvest continues through December, Gonsoulin says he’s optimistic about how the season will finish out.
“So, you know, we're banking on a good crop, a good harvest season, so we can continue to farm and continue to provide for our families and continue to make an impact in our communities,” he said.
