KALB (Alexandria, Lousiana) 05 December 05 Turtle Farming! Louisianas Got It! (John-Thomas Kobos)
Louisiana has about 87 turtle farms. Combined they produce roughly 10-12 million turtles every year. Farm raised turtles are 98 to 99 percent solmonella free-which is safer than most store bought turtles according to George White and Eddie Jolly- both turtle farmers.
And that is the big problem for them right now. Back in 1975 the F.D.A. put a ban on selling farm raised turtles. They say that the F.D.A. was worried about solmonella, but now they shouldn't be. That is because most farmers today use a chemical called Ph-M-B, which rids turtle eggs of solmonella. But the F.D.A. will not recognize that yet.
White and Jolly's only course of action is to continue to sell the turtles to foriegn contries such as China. China knows there is no market here in the United States so they can govern the pay. Right now it costs 30 cents to raise a turtle. China will only pay 33 cents. That puts White and Jolly on the boarder line. They are only breaking even right now. They want the market to open up.
White and Jolly say that if the market were to open that would mean a big economical boom for Louisiana and the rest of the United States. They can only wait for the F.D.A. to recognize that fact.
Turtle Farming! Louisianas Got It!


