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Thousands of pounds of crawfish will be purchased and then eaten by hungry Cajuns during the upcoming Easter weekend.
But distributors say that pricing should remain fair and steady, despite the high demand that lies ahead.
Crawfish prices are down locally this spring, thanks to the warm weather and abundant winter rain, which flourished this year’s crop.
Good Friday’s high customer demand may slightly tilt the price upward – a common occurrence during the holiday. But local distributors said that the mudbugs will be readily available to everyone who wants to dig in.
The price at press-time for the Louisiana delicacy varies from business to business, depending on the day and vendor. The average price for live seafood is about $3 per pound. For boiled, ready-to-eat crawfish, it’s about $5.25 per pound, according to a quick call of the popular hotspots in the Houma-Thibodaux area.
“Prices are down this year,” harvester Joe Adams said. “There’s an abundant crop. The warm weather helped us this year. The conditions were good, and the crawfish delivered. I don’t really foresee any issues with demand during the holiday.”
The numbers back up Adams’ statements.
According to both distributors and regular customers, the price of crawfish is down big-time in 2016 – a direct result of the increase in this year’s crop.
Everyone asked said that mudbugs are about $1 cheaper per pound this year, compared to last.
“There’s no doubt about it – this has been a better year,” harvester Mike Reid said. “It was a really big concern, because it looked like the conditions would suffer. But it came through. And that’s good for the customers and for us, too.”
While those numbers are good for restaurants, it’s good for individual customers, too, who enjoy having family gatherings throughout the spring.
“It’s been cheaper this year than it’s been in a while,” Montegut native and regular consumer Allen Guidry added. “We love to boil – especially this time of the year. It’s great to be able to do it. It’s a family tradition. It’s something that is just a part of Louisiana living.”
The reason for the cheaper prices is because there are more crawfish available on the market this year, compared to last.
That’s because of a warm, wet winter around Louisiana, which made conditions ideal for harvesters.
Crawfish are finicky creatures that don’t become active unless conditions are ideal. According to the LSU AgCenter, crawfish don’t actively feed when the weather is cold. They become more active as the temperatures rise – the warmer the better.
This year, a short winter got crawfish moving around earlier than normal, which greatly increased the supply, which, in turn, lowered the price.
This is in direct contrast to what happened in 2014 when a long, lengthy winter sent prices skyrocketing during the holiday weekend.
That year, consumers paid as much as $7.50 per pound for a boiled feast.
Nothing close to that will be taking place this spring, where only a small, holiday hike is expected.
“That year was a nightmare,” said Pete Wilcox, a crawfish farmer who sells his catch across Southeast Louisiana. “In 2015, it was sort-of in between – about what you’d call average. This year, I’d say is a little better than even where 2015 was. I’d call it an above-average year.
“You may see it go up a little on the holiday weekend,” he said. “That’s just supply and demand. But it won’t be outrageous. It will stay fair to the customers.” •
