SOUR LAKE, Texas — In the heart of Texas crawfish country farmers are find themselves in a pinch far beyond their control.
"Mother Nature got us," said Jake Totorice, Owner of Bayou Best Crawfish, in Sour Lake.
Last summer's record-breaking heat and extreme drought, stretching through Texas and all of southwest Louisiana, is what Totorice says is to blame for a low supply of a beloved southern delicacy.
"Those two things coincided to really dry the ground. Their burrows did not have mud and water in them like they've had in the past," said Totorice.
Leading to near empty nets and coolers on farms like Bayou Best.
"For retail sales, for wholesale accounts, we should be full with two to 300 sacks going out daily," said Totorice.
The outcome resulting in higher costs from $4 a pound at this time last year to $10 a pound.
Farmers said of the roughly 500,000 acres of crawfish country between Texas and Louisiana, 170,000 of those wont produce crawfish this year.
Leading to the threat of imported crawfish through states like Louisiana to meet the demand.
"I will say that, you know, there have been studies that have shown imported seafood to contain illegal antibiotics that trace back to causing stomach cancer," said Samantha Carroll, Executive Director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board.
So what to lookout for?
"The flavors not going to be there, the fats not going to be that beautiful yellow fat that you get here from purchasing crawfish in Louisiana and its just something to be wary of," said Carroll.
Back in Texas...
"These are crawfish that we have purchased over the years from different spots in Louisiana," Totorice said.
Farmers are rising to the challenges of higher costs...
"We're experiencing the higher cost of doing business as well as the shortage or the low supply of crawfish that we’re catching," said Totorice.
With the livelihoods of many at stake.
"Don't give up on us, we are not giving up I promise you…we know its tough, we’re expecting a tough year but we’re not giving up, so please don’t give up on us," said Totorice while fighting back tears.
Farmers are hoping to see a drop in prices by the peak of crawfish season in early May.
Meanwhile, the state of Louisiana has requested federal assistance for crawfish farmers.