BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Inflation is still a headache for many people across the country, including right here in Louisiana. State officials are trying to figure out solutions on the best way to help people in Louisiana.

“Forestry, agriculture, oil, gas, minerals, and mining — that is the foundation of the economy, and now more than ever we understand why we need that,” said Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain.

Strain says the war in Ukraine will continue to impact prices on goods and all things Louisiana agriculture.

“Now, IMF, the international monetary fund, just came out with predictions looking at food between now and next year across the world. You know what that number is? It’s over 14 percent in continuing. My friends, we have to get a handle on this,” said Strain.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the food at home index rose 10 percent over the last 12 months — the largest 12-month increase since the period ending March 1981. Strain continued by stating,

“So, again, we have to increase natural gas and oil to bring down the cost so that we can affect food prices,” said Strain. “So someone said, ‘Why aren’t food prices going to come down in six months?’ Because it can’t.”

Strain believes the only way to slow it down is to create our own.

“And that’s what we got to do,” said Strain. “Higher production, [fewer] inputs, less reliance on any chemical or fertilizer but we got to meet the increased production.”