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One week after Hurricane Laura came ashore, Louisiana’s sugar cane crop is still showing some signs of the storm, but the damage is not as extensive as feared as Laura approached the state.
“We did have storm surge — maybe not to the extent with Hurricane Rita, but we do have some growers out there with significant impact,” said Kenneth Gravois, the LSU AgCenter state sugar cane specialist.
One of those who dealt with the storm surge is Ricky Gonsoulin, an Iberia Parish sugar cane farmer.
“We received about 5 feet of tidal surge well after the storm,” Gonsoulin said. “There’s some wind damage, but more than likely, it’s the surge we’re fighting.”
A week after the storm, Gonsoulin is running a 48-inch pump and made three cuts into a levee to drain the water from his fields. These efforts to save his crop are cutting into his profit margin.
“All of this cost is burdened on the farmer — the diesel costs, pumping costs,” he said. “All of the damages go down to the farmer, and it goes down to the pocketbook of the farmer.”
Even with all the work brought on by Laura, Gonsoulin remains optimistic about his crop.
“We had a great crop, probably one of the better crops I’ve had in a long history before the storm,” he said. “And it is still out there.”
Charles Canatella farms 2,000 acres of sugarcane in St. Landry Parish with his son. The central part of the state received high winds from the storm, but after some sunny days, Canatella could see the cane rebounding.
“It looks like it has straightened up a lot just over the past two days,” Canatella said. “I think we are going to be OK.”
Justin Dufour, an AgCenter agent for Avoyelles, Grant and Rapides parishes, had also seen an improvement of the cane fields he toured.
“The cane was definitely bent right after the storm, but it is straightening itself out,” Dufour said. “I’ve learned just how resilient a crop sugarcane is through this event.”
Gravois said the weather following the storm will help determine the amount of damage the crop received from Laura.
“The degree of damage will certainly be dictated by the weather we have from here on out,” Gravois said. “If we have a dry fall, that will really mitigate the damage to this crop. If we have a wet fall, that’s really going to make it worse.”
For the stalks to erect and repair themselves, the plant uses some of its sugar reserves, lowering the amount of recoverable sugar. How much sugar will be lost won’t be determined until later in the grinding season.
“We’ll get a better feel for the damages once we start harvest,” Gravois said.
“Once the trucks start crossing the scales, once we see the sugar recovery numbers from the raw sugar factories, we’ll have a better idea.”
Another positive for growers is that planting for next year’s crop was nearly complete before the storm struck. Gravois estimated about 85% of planting was done across the state.
For those remaining acres, planting will be slowed some as the seed cane is bent and will be more difficult to plant.

Vernon Joseph “Blue” Robin Sr., 77, a resident of Morgan City, passed away Tuesday, September 1, 2020, at Patterson Healthcare.
Vernon was born on September 7, 1942, in Lafayette, the son of Edwin Robin and Elise Hebert Robin.
Vernon was a retired boat captain.
He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by eight children, Vernon Joseph Robin Jr. of Morgan City, Brent Anthony Robin and wife Kim of Biloxi, Mississippi, Scotty Glen Robin Sr. and wife Roxanne of Havre de Grace, Maryland, and Bryan Keith Robin and wife Tina, Spencer Tracy Robin, Trudy Lynn Robin and companion Carey Williams, Kimberly Besse and husband Timothy, and Donovan Max Robin, all of Morgan City; 28 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; two brothers, Floyd Robin and Rickey Robin; and five sisters, Virginia Bruce, Pearl Butler, Dorothy Surratt, Cindy Orgeron and Barbara Polotzola.
Vernon was preceded in death by his parents, Edwin and Elise Hebert Robin; his wife, Frances Carmello Robin; two children, Daryl Troy Robin and Julie Ann Robin; one brother, Charles Robin; and one sister, Gloria Stears.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at noon on Saturday, September 5, 2020, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Henry Sebastian celebrating Mass. A visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 5, 2020, at Twin City Funeral Home. Following Mass, interment will be in the Morgan City Cemetery.
Due to restrictions with limited gatherings, current guidelines will only allow for 100 people in attendance for the visitation at the funeral home and 120 people for the funeral Mass, while still practicing social distancing. Masks will be required upon entering the funeral home and church.

Ronald Lee Robinson, 41, a native and resident of New Iberia, died Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, in New Iberia.
A Celebration of Life Service will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Jones Funeral Home in Franklin. Masks and social distancing required. Services will be accessible on the funeral home Facebook page. Burial will follow in Lutheran Cemetery in Franklin.
He is survived by a son, Keyshawn Marshall of Minneapolis; two brothers, Rodney Robinson of New Iberia and Raleigh Robinson of Youngsville; two sisters, Rona Deal of New Iberia and Lisa Skipper of Morgan City; and a host of other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his mother, maternal grandparents and two brothers.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Summer League
Week 10
........................................W L
Let’s Geaux..................64.5 25.5
Buffet Margaritaville....58.5 31.5
Horseshoes Great......51.5 38.5
3 Guys & A Gal.........31.5 48.5
Let Er Rip..................35.5 55
High scratch point average: (30’) Tim Gilmore 81.2, Calvin Johnson 42.2 and Mary Guzdial 24.4; and (40’) Clyde Landry 51.7, Randy Giroir 48.6 and Dwain Arceneaux 47.1.
High individual ringer percentage: (30’) Gilmore 61.8, Johnson 20.4 and Guzdial 9.2; and (40’) Landry 30.3, Giroir 29.6 and Arceneaux 28.8.
High scratch game: (30’) Gilmore 96, Johnson 54 and Guzdial 38; and (40’) Landry 69, Landry 68 and Dale Pearce 64.
Most ringers: (one night): Gilmore 79, Landry 48, Glenn Miller 44 and Giroir 44; and (one game) Gilmore 30, Landry 20, Giroir 19, Arceneaux 18 and Pearce 17.
Most points one night: Gilmore 257, Landry 178, Giroir 178, Pearce 167, Arceneaux 166 and Miller 165.
High game over average: Giroir 22.1 and Guzdial 14.7.
High handicap game: Giroir 108, Rhodes 105, Pearce 105, Gilmore 105, Tyler Bourdier 104 and Clay Canty 103.
Best won-loss record: Jim Guzdial 10-2, Gilmore 18.5-5.5, Tyler Bourdier 16-5, Landry 18-6 and Craig Rink 17-7.
Most points one night (team): Make Horseshoes Great Again 480 and Let’s Geaux 461; and most ringers one night (team): Make Horseshoes Great Again 122 and Let’s Geaux 122.