Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry

What Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry does

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) is a state government agency of Louisiana, headquartered in Baton Rouge, that performs regulatory oversight, consumer protection, and promotional functions for the state's agriculture and forestry industries. Organized into seven operating offices — Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Animal Health and Food Safety, Agro-Consumer Services, Forestry, Management and Finance, Soil and Water Conservation, and the Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority (LAFA) — LDAF licenses pesticide applicators, arborists, florists, nurseries, structural pest control operators, agricultural consultants, and beekeepers; inspects scales, fuel pumps, and food products; enforces timber theft and arson laws; and administers animal health and brand programs for livestock producers.

Its service portfolio spans regulatory compliance, certification, grant administration, conservation, and limited recreation. Notable programs include the Louisiana Agricultural Workforce Development Program (reimbursing up to 50% of intern costs, capped at $5,000), the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grant (USDA-funded), the Forest Productivity Program, Forest Legacy and Forest Stewardship Programs, Volunteer Fire Assistance grants, the Certified Prescribed Burner Program (in place since 1993), and the Stay Rooted Louisiana mental health initiative. It also operates the Indian Creek Campground and Recreation Area and publishes the Market Bulletin. Digital delivery is anchored by a website relaunched in October 2023 using Contentful as its CMS, with integrations to USDA's farmers.gov portal, Everblue for pesticide certification exams, QPR Training, and AgriSafe Learning.

LDAF is funded through state appropriations, federal grants (notably USDA partnerships), and licensing/permit fees rather than commercial revenue. Fee schedules are modest and published (e.g., Ground Owner Operator License: $200 in-state, $500 out-of-state; Commercial Pesticide Applicator exam: $50; renewals ranging from $20–$25). The department is led by Commissioner Mike Strain, DVM, and coordinates with 44 Soil and Water Conservation Districts across the state. Its operating scope is entirely domestic, limited to Louisiana.

Name

Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry

Legal name

Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry

Website

https://ldaf.la.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry is a state government agency that regulates, licenses, and supports Louisiana's agriculture and forestry industries through seven operating offices handling licensing, inspection, animal health, conservation, forestry enforcement, and grant administration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Baton Rouge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Licensing and Permit Fees: Revenue generated from various licensing programs including pesticide licenses, structural pest control, arborist licenses, florist licenses, nursery licenses, and other professional certifications required for operating in Louisiana's agricultural sector.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry is a state government agency that regulates and promotes Louisiana's agriculture and forestry sectors through licensing, inspection, certification, grant administration, conservation, and enforcement programs. It administers pesticide and professional licensing, weights and measures inspection, timber theft and arson enforcement, prescribed burner certification, forest productivity and conservation programs, workforce development grants, and food supply chain infrastructure funding, while also operating the Indian Creek Recreation Area and publishing the Market Bulletin.

Product overview

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) operates as a state government agency rather than a traditional product company, offering a diverse portfolio of regulatory, grant, certification, and service programs. The department is organized into seven main offices: Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Animal Health and Food Safety, Agro-Consumer Services, Forestry, Management and Finance, Soil and Water Conservation, and the Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority. Key programs include agricultural and forestry workforce development grants, forest productivity and conservation programs, wildfire management through the Volunteer Fire Assistance and prescribed burning certification programs, pesticide licensing services, and mental health resources through the Stay Rooted Louisiana initiative. The department also maintains the Indian Creek Recreation Area and publishes the Market Bulletin. Services are delivered through online portals for payments, renewals, and public records requests, with the main digital presence being a comprehensive website launched in October 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Stay Rooted Louisiana: Mental health awareness and resources program for Louisiana's farming community
• Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority (LAFA)
• Indian Creek Recreation Area

Products and services

• Louisiana Agricultural Workforce Development Program (LAWDP) Grant program reimbursing Louisiana businesses up to 50% of intern hiring costs (maximum $5,000 per internship) to establish internship programs training students for agriculture and forestry careers.
• Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Grant USDA-funded grant program coordinated by LDAF to strengthen Louisiana's middle-of-the-food-supply-chain through equipment and infrastructure funding for food and farm businesses, nonprofits, local governments, tribal governments, schools, and hospitals.
• Forest Productivity Program (FPP) Financial assistance program providing incentive payments to eligible Louisiana landowners to establish and improve timber crops on a minimum of 10 contiguous acres suitable for commercial timber species.
• Forest Legacy Program USDA Forest Service partnership program protecting environmentally sensitive privately owned forest lands threatened by conversion to non-forest use through land acquisition and conservation easements, funded through the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.
• Forest Stewardship Program Coordinated program assisting Louisiana's private non-industrial forest landowners with total resource management, recognizing those who manage forests for timber, clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and other benefits.
• Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) Grants 50/50 matching fund program assisting rural Louisiana fire departments with firefighter safety, initial attack capability, and protection of state and private lands threatened by wildfire.
• Certified Prescribed Burner Program Certification program administered by LDAF since 1993 under Act #589 to train and certify prescribed burn professionals, requiring formal training, five supervised burns, a burn plan, smoke management compliance, and passing a certification exam at 70% or higher.
• Market Bulletin LDAF publication providing news and events in Louisiana agriculture and advertisements for farm and garden-related items.
• Indian Creek Campground and Recreation Area LDAF-operated campground and recreation area offering campsite bookings, pavilion reservations, and outdoor activities and amenities.
• Pesticide Licensing Services Comprehensive licensing services including Ground Owner Operator ($200 resident / $500 non-resident), Aerial Owner Operator, RUP Dealer ($200), Commercial Pesticide Applicator, Private Pesticide Applicator, RUP Salesperson, Agricultural Consultant ($20 card fee), and Field Scout certifications.
• Online Payments and Renewals Online portal enabling payment of fees and renewals for LDAF services including horticulture, seed programs, weights and measures, and the Market Bulletin.
• Stay Rooted Louisiana Mental health initiative connecting Louisiana agriculture communities with stress-combating resources, including QPR and AgriSafe FarmResponse training, the Louisiana Geaux Book emergency preparedness tool, and 988 helpline links.
• Forestry Enforcement Division enforcing criminal laws protecting forest woodlands, including arson investigation, timber theft enforcement, and auditing timber harvester records, with officers commissioned as per LA.RS 3.4274.1.
• Weights and Measures Services Inspection services protecting buyers and sellers by inspecting scales, meters, scanners, fuel pumps, and weights in businesses selling products by weight or volume, including motor fuels, metrology, and package inspections.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2024LDAF partners with USDA Agricultural Marketing Service through Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program to award $4.6 million to strengthen Louisiana's food supply chain. Funds support equipment and infrastructure projects for food and farm businesses, nonprofits, local government entities, tribal governments, schools, and hospitals.
• Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989CPRA has funded LDAF's coastal revegetation program since 1989. The program plants over 30 linear miles of native vegetation annually on Louisiana's shorelines and interior wetlands to aid coastal restoration.
• LSU AgCentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLSU AgCenter teaches formal prescribed burning courses used for Certified Prescribed Burner training. LSU AgCenter offices also provide Private Pesticide Applicator Certification training locations.
• USDA Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForest Legacy Program is a USDA Forest Service program in partnership with Louisiana. Funding comes from Land and Water Conservation Fund allocated by Congress to protect environmentally sensitive privately owned forest lands.
• Louisiana Forestry CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperates with Louisiana Forestry Commission on timber and pulpwood production reports, quarterly stumpage price reports, and forestry enforcement activities.
• Louisiana Department of Revenue and TaxationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperates on timber and pulpwood production reports and severance tax calculations. Data gathered in cooperation with Louisiana Tax Commission for annual compilations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tennessee Department of Agriculture: Southern state agriculture agency with regulatory and consumer services functions similar to LDAF, operating across comparable agricultural and forestry sectors.
• Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce: Direct peer as an adjacent Gulf South state agriculture department with similar regulatory scope over crops, livestock, forestry, and consumer protection activities.
• Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries: Neighboring state agriculture agency with comparable mandate covering plant protection, animal industries, weights and measures, and commodity regulation in a similar regional context.
• Arkansas Department of Agriculture: State agriculture department with forestry oversight consolidated under one agency—closely mirroring LDAF's combined agriculture-and-forestry structure in a neighboring southern state.

Others

• LSU AgCenter: Adjacent Louisiana institution that partners with LDAF on pesticide applicator certification and prescribed burner training; comparable in scope of agricultural research and extension activities in the same state.
• USDA Forest Service (Southern Region): Federal partner that funds Forest Legacy and related programs in Louisiana. Comparable in forestry stewardship, wildfire suppression, and conservation easement work, though federal in scope.

Broad incumbents

• Texas Department of Agriculture: State-level agriculture agency with similar regulatory, licensing, and consumer protection functions. Texas is a comparable large southern agricultural state, making TDA a strong functional peer to LDAF.
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: State agency combining agriculture and consumer services oversight, similar to LDAF's broad mandate. Operates in another Gulf Coast state with comparable climate and agricultural profile.
• California Department of Food and Agriculture: Large state agriculture department with broader scope and budget, but functionally similar in regulatory, licensing, and consumer protection activities—useful as a scaled benchmark peer.
• Georgia Department of Agriculture: State agriculture agency with regulatory, licensing, and consumer protection functions comparable to LDAF, serving a major southeastern agricultural economy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCK6AJX9eDoaNXSzm_0nyA9Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/LaAgandForestry
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/louisianadeptofagricultureandforestry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry