Agricultural production in New Mexico was valued at $3.71 billion according to a recent edition of the New Mexico Agricultural Statistics Bulletin.
The publication includes updated statistics which recognized the state’s production at the farm gate as well as its impact on local economics in each of New Mexico’s 33 counties.
Statistics are gathered by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture National Agriculture Statistics Service from survey responses to the USDA-NASS surveys.
In 2022, the value of the state’s agricultural production increased by 17 percent above 2021.
New Mexico chile and pecan production garnered the top two spots in the county in 2002. Also contributing to the state’s value of production was onions ranked fifth in the nation at $153 million, milk ranked ninth in the nation at $1.76 billion and cattle and calves ranked 21st at $1.16 billion.
The state’s top producing crops are listed as hay, corn, chile, peanuts, pecans, cotton and wheat.
Although growers harvested 225,000 acres of hay, production in 2022 totaled 240,000 tons … down nine percent from 2021. Yield per acre, on average was 3.29 tons, compared with 3.62 tons in 2021. The average price of hay was $279 per ton, up 21 percent from a year ago. Growers also harvested 125,000 acres of alfalfa hay, unchanged from the previous year.
Corn production took a 20 percent decrease from the prior year. In 2022 grain production total 5.36 million down from 7.8 million bushels in 2021. Average grain yield was 149 bushels per acre. Growers harvested 36,000 acres of corn for grain production, compared to 39,000 acres in 2021.
Chile production provided the state’s agricultural economy a boost in 2022 increasing production by four percent. Of the 8,400 acres planted in 2021, growers harvested 8,200 acres yielding 6.5 tons per acre compared the previous year of six tons per acre. Ninety-one percent of the crop was sold for processing, while less than nine percent was sold fresh at area markets. Red chile harvested increased by 140 acres over 2021 while green chile harvested area decreased 440 from the prior year.
Acres for peanut production dropped considerably to 6,400 acres in 2022. Peanut production also decreased by 38 percent to 16 million pounds down from 25.6 million in 2021. Average yield, however, increased by eight percent to 2,500 pounds per acre.
While New Mexico is considered a top pecan producing state in the United States it was down four million pounds from 2021 to 2022. Ranked second in the nation, pecan growers received an average of $1.89 per pound down 17 percent in 2021. Total value of production for the state was $141.2 million.
Cotton growers increased their harvested acres from 26,000 acres in 2021 to 30,000 acres in 2022. This past year, growers harvested 60,000 480-pound bales. Average yield per acre was 960 pounds.
Finally, winter wheat production was down 50 percent from 2021 to 2022. Only 1.45 million bushels were produced in 2002 as compared to 2.88 million in 2021. The average yield was 17 bushels per acre compared to 19 bushels per acre in 2021. The total planted area of winter wheat was 355,000 acres – the largest portion was used for grazing and haying purposes.
Socorro County
In Socorro County the livestock count in 2023 was as follows: 37,000 head of cattle and calves; 13,600 head of beef cattle; 9,600 head of milk cows; and 1,700 head of sheep and lambs.
According to the 2017 census, there were 658 farms totaling 912,476 acres. The average size of a farm was 1,387 acres. The value of products sold was $65,148,000 with the average value of farm sold was $99,009. Average farm expenses totaled $90,197 with a net farm income of $11,067.
Catron County
In Catron County the livestock count in 2023 was as follows: 25,000 head of cattle and calves; 15,300 of beef cattle; and 200 head of sheep and lambs.
According to the 2017 census, there were 341 farms totaling 1,260,711acres. The average size of a farm was 3,697 acres. The value of products sold was $9,471,000 with the average value of farm sold was $27,009. Average farm expenses totaled $36,194 with a net farm income of $3,060.
