crawfish farming in texas...

[monsterspike]

how far west of houston can crawfish/rice fields be found? are there many in ft bend, wharton, jackson counties?

it seems like prime area with clay based soils and rice being the ideal set up. im thinking there is some but not a lot in those areas. possibly coots and wading birds are too hard on the efforts.

la. grows 90% of the nations crawfish. what holds texas back from competing on a bigger scale?

[Oldblue]

I heard someone in Ft. Bend and I know a good one in Matagorda county. As far as the second question, no clue.

[miket]

Pinchers restaraunt El Campo area grows their own for the restaraunt I believe. Not sure other than that. Used to be plenty of rice all the way to Victoria before imports killed the industry in Texas. Im assuming its the availability of water thats the issue. Here it has to be pumped which costs money.

[Blank]

Cornelius Farms is just down the road from my buddy in Matagorda Co. Big ponds and always selling prime bugs for good price. I think a couple of the restaurants by from them

[panhandlehunter]

I’m not sure why there isn’t more farms around here. There’s one down the road from me, but they’re usually priced higher than everybody else. I’m not sure why there are not more farms in this area.

[Leemo]

It’s a feast or famine business, getting water is the problem, also economies of scale plays a big factor. In years when wild harvest catches are off the charts, prices go to pooooo for farmers.

[panhandlehunter]

crawfish farming in texas...

It’s a feast or famine business, getting water is the problem, also economies of scale plays a big factor. In years when wild harvest catches are off the charts, prices go to pooooo for farmers.

Forgot about the water issues, I bet that is the biggest reason. I got an uncle that farms rice, I will ask him why next time I see him.

[monsterspike]

miket that restaurant gets good reviews. you been there?

panhandle yes sir please ask your uncle.

blank, you talking like ponds 100+ acres, or what?

the water would be a huge factor, but its enough for the rice already. seems the bugs would do well?

oldblue, in ft bend, is it just the bugs, or a rice/bugs rotation?

really appreciate it boys! God bless!!

[glen]

I’ve seen some by Indinaola

[monsterspike]

It’s a feast or famine business, getting water is the problem, also economies of scale plays a big factor. In years when wild harvest catches are off the charts, prices go to pooooo for farmers.

leemo, it seems like the wild harvest would be more than a days drive away, near about. it seems like the limited shelf life would keep houston/west in the market either way?

good points all. interesting stuff. im trying to learn. seems like it would be fun at least.

[Doublelunger]

The lcra and gcwa killed most of the water available to farmers in 2011-2012 and most of the subsidies were voted out...crazy what it did to the flyway for geese once the rice fields started to disappear

[K. Lane]

I’ve hunted ducks & geese on many rice farms on the Garwood Prairie south of Columbus in Colorado County

[Blank]

Here's a good explanation of why they don't farm them anymore. Almost can't afford to.

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/counties/matagorda_county/as-crawfish-season-comes-to-a-boil-matagorda-farmers-are-pinched-by-water-costs/article_affdf84a-429f-11ea-8641-0bce3bbaafe0.html

[Capt Glenn]

miket that restaurant gets good reviews. you been there?

panhandle yes sir please ask your uncle.

blank, you talking like ponds 100+ acres, or what?

the water would be a huge factor, but its enough for the rice already. seems the bugs would do well?

oldblue, in ft bend, is it just the bugs, or a rice/bugs rotation?

really appreciate it boys! God bless!!

You don't understand how the water rights situation works down here. Just because there is water doesn't mean you can buy any. If you are on a canal system you are at the whims of the LCRA or whatever other water authority you have to go through in your area. Maybe they give you water, maybe they don't.

So your other option is to put in a well. Look into the cost of that. Between the well and building your ponds you'd have to sell a whole dang lot of crawfish to ever break even.

[Cajun Blake]

how far west of houston can crawfish/rice fields be found? are there many in ft bend, wharton, jackson counties?

la. grows 90% of the nations crawfish. what holds texas back from competing on a bigger scale?

Mr Ray McClain will chime in as he has a Ph D in crawfish farming - aquaculture.

My .02 living in Acadiana aka crawfish country. As a farmer, you either own or lease the land. Crawfish farming is seasonal and you want the highest ROI and you want the land to produce money. Farming crawfish and rice is a symbiotic relationship as both benefit each other. The farmer can farm both crops to increase his profit. Rice and crawfish both need water to survive, and the crawfish can eat the snails, zooplankton and other microorganisms attracted to the decomposing vegetation in the ponds.

Of course, it requires lots of money to farm rice. Equipment, diesel, implements, pumps, labor, fertilizer, all cost money. Hard for LA rice farmers to survive in rice alone, as they farm crawfish to help make more $$

It’s a tough industry and not always profitable