Cast announced for Thibodaux Playhouse’s upcoming show
January 21, 2024
Explore Houma to host celebration for the Finding Our Roots African American Mobile Museum’s 1st Anniversary
January 21, 2024
With crawfish prices almost double what they were in January of 2023 and not readily available for purchase, people in south Louisiana are going to have a very hard (and expensive) time getting their fill of these critters this winter.
“The drought and heat during the summer/fall caused very high mortality of the carryover crawfish and brood stock. Those are the crawfish that the farmers should be catching in December, January, and February,” reads a statement from Mark Shirley, Crawfish Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Specialist with LSU AgCenter and LA Sea Grant. “I don’t see the catch picking anytime soon, especially considering the freezing temperatures expected through January. Some farmers still have not put out traps mainly because test traps show no sign of crawfish.”
Crawfish House Prospect, a Houma-based crawfish business, posted a breakdown of their costs and net profits this season following customer complaints over prices and availability. “We have seen so many misinformed comments about businesses ripping off customers because of price,” reads the Facebook post. “This post is in no way crying or looking for sympathy, I am posting this in hopes you will understand what businesses like ours are facing. It doesn’t look good.”
Crawfish House Prospect explained that in a recent 10-hour work day, the business sold 92 pounds of crawfish at $14.99 a pound, which equaled approximately $1,379 in sales. The cost to sell that crawfish (including driver wages, fuel, electricity, etc.), was approximately $1,322. This brought their net profit to a resoundingly low $57, which meant a $5 an hour wage for owner Gary Blanchard.
“By this time in the season, I’ve usually bought and sold around 1,000-1,500 sacks. So far this year, I’ve only been able to get my hands on 10 sacks,” explained Blanchard. “I don’t know what we are going to do. This is definitely the worst we have ever seen it in our 25 years of business.”
This current issue will not only affect farmers, but also everyone involved in the crawfish industry as the season continues. “If you are able, please support your local farmers, docks, and boiling houses,” reads a post from Crawfish House Prospect. “This will be a really tough year for everyone involved.”
