Oil & Gas Partnership Helps Sustain $327M Rice Industry - 5th Generation Rice Farmer, Trevor Hair. Still shot from the Grow Louisiana Coalition video "The Surprising Role of Oil & Gas in Sustaining Louisiana's Rice Industry" provided by the Grow Louisiana Coalition.
NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana’s rice industry is getting a boost from a long-running partnership between oil & gas giant Chevron and Ducks Unlimited, as the Rice Stewardship Program helps farmers adopt more sustainable practices that protect waterfowl habitats and preserve a generations-old way of life. A new video from the Grow Louisiana Coalition called “The Surprising
Vermilion Parish rice farmer Trevor Hair says the Rice Stewardship Program has made his operation more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible by promoting best practices such as precision irrigation and pump automation.
“I’ve been farming full-time for about 15 years now. It’s been in our family for approximately 120 years, and I’ll be the fifth generation,” said Trevor Hair. “We want to keep farming going here in South Louisiana for the younger people coming along. This program helps provide the economic incentive to keep rice farming alive.”
Chevron’s initial $175,000 investment in 2013 helped launch the Rice Stewardship Program and fuel its expansion across all six rice-growing states: Louisiana, Arkansas, California, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. To date, Chevron has invested over half a million dollars, and the program has impacted more than 800,000 acres across 1,000 farms, including in 11 Louisiana parishes: Beauregard, Allen, Evangeline, St. Landry, St. Martin, Lafayette, Acadia, Jefferson Davis, Calcasieu, Cameron and Vermilion.
“This partnership is a win for farmers, wildlife and Louisiana’s economy,” said Leah Brown, Public Affairs Manager for Chevron. “By supporting land and water conservation, we’re helping to preserve Louisiana’s agricultural legacy and way of life.”
Ducks Unlimited supports rice producers in adopting more efficient irrigation methods, such as switching from diesel to electric pumps, installing water-conserving pipe drops and precision leveling fields, all aimed at improving yields and reducing costs. These practices also help purify water, recharge aquifers and create stronger habitats for migratory birds, which rely on rice fields for 40% of the food they consume while flying over North America.
“What’s good for rice is good for ducks,” said Kyle Soileau, Rice Stewardship Program Coordinator for Ducks Unlimited. “We want to keep rice on the landscape. I’m a foodie and here in Louisiana, we need rice for our gumbo, étouffée, boudin and our way of life.”
The partnership reflects how two of Louisiana’s cornerstone industries—agriculture and energy—can work together to drive progress and strengthen rural communities.
“Rice farming has been part of Louisiana’s story for hundreds of years—just like the oil and gas industry,” Hair added. “They go hand in hand. The economic development provided by energy companies like Chevron helps support a lot of what we do down here in South Louisiana.”
Grow Louisiana Coalition Supports Traditional Oil & Gas
Founded in 2014 by The Ehrhardt Group, the Grow Louisiana Coalition serves as a strategic advocate for Louisiana’s oil and gas industry. In addition to promoting programs like the Rice Stewardship initiative, GLAC conducts grassroots outreach, political advocacy campaigns, and media efforts designed to influence legislation and public opinion. The organization has mobilized supporters to oppose settlement agreements it sees as harmful to the traditional energy sector, and to support policies that expand drilling and oil & gas energy investment.
GLAC also publicly opposes coastal restoration lawsuits filed by parishes against energy companies, arguing such litigation threatens jobs and future investment. In a notable example, the coalition called a $744 million verdict against Chevron “short-sighted” and damaging to Louisiana’s business climate. Instead, it emphasizes traditional oil & gas energy-funded conservation efforts as a more productive pathway for environmental and economic sustainability.
“Forget about Louisiana being known for its natural resources, infrastructure, and skilled workforce," said Grow Louisiana Coalition Executive Director Marc Ehrhardt. "With this verdict, Louisiana will be branded as a state that will extort the most recognizable companies on earth for billions of dollars, decades later, after being told that their work was welcome investment and in compliance with all laws on the books at the time."
With more than 110,000 supporters, the mission of the Grow Louisiana Coalition is to raise awareness of and to rally support behind the state’s energy industry in order to create a viable future for its citizens. More information is available at www.GrowLouisianaCoalition.com.
Happy 504 Day! 🎉
Order a full year of local stories,
delivered to your door.
Limited time offer. New subscribers only.
Follow the issues, companies and people that matter most to business in New Orleans.
