By Patrick D. Bonin BRANCH, LA.
Ideal growing conditions plus a mild, wet winter to date have set takes place for what is shaping as much as be
a bumper crawfish crop in south Louisiana.
€œFor 2012, everything I€™m seeing today indicates we€™re aligned to get a high production year,€ said
Mark Fruge€™, co-owner of Fruge€™ AquaFarms in Branch, located about 15 miles from Lafayette.€œWith
these mild temperatures, the crawfish are ahead of schedule on their own rate of growth and production
levels because they€™ve been so active. The overall might be producing double where
we€™d normally be at this time.€ Above-average temperatures and plentiful rainfall hold the tasty
crustaceans believing that spring has already sprung, and crawfish traps throughout Cajun Country are
bursting with the hungry mudbugs.
fresh crawfish
€œThe temperatures that we€™ve been experiencing are like March temperatures, and so the crawfish within the
field are reacting as if it€™s March,€ Fruge€™ said. €œIndustry-wide, the folks I€™ve spoken with are
having similar outcomes. Most people are succeeding production-wise, and that we should see strong poundageper-
acre production numbers.€
Meaning great news for consumers, who could see reduced prices in comparison to the past few years when
below-average rainfall negatively affected production.
€œIt ought to be an excellent year with abundant and affordable crawfish,€ said Mike Fruge€™, Mark€™s older
brother and fellow co-owner of Fruge AquaFarms. €œI€™m predicting an extremely high volume season. The
quality at this time couldn€™t be better, and it€™s only going to improve even as head into the spring.€
Volume is indeed strong today Mike said the farm actually stopped harvesting for just one day the other day.
€œThat€™s initially within 5 years we€™ve needed to stop production to allow industry catch up,€ he
live crawfish
said. €œAt this time of year, I don€™t think that€™s ever happened before.€
Typically, depending upon weather, the harvest continue through late June or the first week of July.
Because the season progresses, Mike predicts crawfish may well be more affordable compared to the past few years.
€œRight now, the cost on the wholesale level is approximately 30% less than it absolutely was at this time last year,€ he said.
€œThat transfers all the way down the fishing line, so consumers should see less expensive costs as well.€
Over the past 29 years, the Fruge€™ brothers have experienced their original 20-acre crawfish pond expand in to a
working 2,400-acre farm which gives a full-service seafood company covering major markets in
Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.
For more information on Fruge€™ AquaFarms or the 2012 Louisiana crawfish season, contact Courtney
Fruge€™ 337.334.9620 or visit www.CajunCrawfish.com
Ideal growing conditions plus a mild, wet winter to date have set takes place for what is shaping as much as be
a bumper crawfish crop in south Louisiana.
€œFor 2012, everything I€™m seeing today indicates we€™re aligned to get a high production year,€ said
Mark Fruge€™, co-owner of Fruge€™ AquaFarms in Branch, located about 15 miles from Lafayette.€œWith
these mild temperatures, the crawfish are ahead of schedule on their own rate of growth and production
levels because they€™ve been so active. The overall might be producing double where
we€™d normally be at this time.€ Above-average temperatures and plentiful rainfall hold the tasty
crustaceans believing that spring has already sprung, and crawfish traps throughout Cajun Country are
bursting with the hungry mudbugs.
fresh crawfish
€œThe temperatures that we€™ve been experiencing are like March temperatures, and so the crawfish within the
field are reacting as if it€™s March,€ Fruge€™ said. €œIndustry-wide, the folks I€™ve spoken with are
having similar outcomes. Most people are succeeding production-wise, and that we should see strong poundageper-
acre production numbers.€
Meaning great news for consumers, who could see reduced prices in comparison to the past few years when
below-average rainfall negatively affected production.
€œIt ought to be an excellent year with abundant and affordable crawfish,€ said Mike Fruge€™, Mark€™s older
brother and fellow co-owner of Fruge AquaFarms. €œI€™m predicting an extremely high volume season. The
quality at this time couldn€™t be better, and it€™s only going to improve even as head into the spring.€
Volume is indeed strong today Mike said the farm actually stopped harvesting for just one day the other day.
€œThat€™s initially within 5 years we€™ve needed to stop production to allow industry catch up,€ he
live crawfish
said. €œAt this time of year, I don€™t think that€™s ever happened before.€
Typically, depending upon weather, the harvest continue through late June or the first week of July.
Because the season progresses, Mike predicts crawfish may well be more affordable compared to the past few years.
€œRight now, the cost on the wholesale level is approximately 30% less than it absolutely was at this time last year,€ he said.
€œThat transfers all the way down the fishing line, so consumers should see less expensive costs as well.€
Over the past 29 years, the Fruge€™ brothers have experienced their original 20-acre crawfish pond expand in to a
working 2,400-acre farm which gives a full-service seafood company covering major markets in
Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.
For more information on Fruge€™ AquaFarms or the 2012 Louisiana crawfish season, contact Courtney
Fruge€™ 337.334.9620 or visit www.CajunCrawfish.com
