MORGANZA — Harvest season for many Pointe Coupee Parish sugarcane farmers began Monday and officials are urging those on the roads to drive safely around sugarcane trucks and agricultural equipment.

For Marty Frey, this is his twenty-fifth season growing sugarcane. He said the season went well with a good crop and no impact from Hurricane Francine.

“It’s our livelihood. It’s everything. Without it, we wouldn’t survive. In today’s market, where we live, in this climate, sugarcane is the best thing that we can grow,” Frey said.

This week, Frey said he will begin harvest on more than 4,000 acres of sugarcane.

“We’re going to run 15 trucks and they’ll make roughly four loads a piece, a day. We’re sending 50 loads a day out,” Frey said.

Sheriff Rene' Thibodeaux said Frey is one of many farmers growing one of the most important crops for Pointe Coupee.

“Seventy-six thousand acres will be planted in Pointe Coupee. (Around) 54,500 will be harvested at Alma Plantation right here in Pointe Coupee Parish,” Thibodeaux said.

Thibodeaux said there will only be more trucks on the road in the coming days.

“The other plantations open up Wednesday. They started today, but by Wednesday, there will be more trucks and tractors on the highway,” Thibodeaux said.

Frey said his drivers will hit the road Wednesday.

“They’re not paid by the load. They’re trying to be as safe as possible. I know they don’t always drive the speed limit. They drive under the speed limit. Be patient with them. They’re doing it for everybody’s safety,” Frey said.

Officials with Pointe Coupee Fire District Two ask that people plan for longer commute times. To avoid motor vehicle accidents, keep an eye out for slow-moving trucks and agricultural equipment and stay off the phone while driving.

“That will give you enough reaction time to notice because sometimes these cane trucks can come surprisingly right up on you. So if you put your phone down, that’ll decrease MVAs," Fire Chief Aaron Edwards said. "Every harvest season, we run between four and five in this district. Some serious injuries, some minor. It depends. We want to prevent all if we can.”

Over about 100 days, Frey said he has to get all his sugar cane to the mill.

“It’s all about safety, it’s all about paying attention. We all need to be on higher alert because there will be a high number of trucks on the road and the public may not be used to it,” Frey said.

Frey said harvest season is set to end in January.