Agriculture production in New Mexico saw a slight increase in 2021 despite dealing with a drought, inflation and a worldwide pandemic, according to the 2021 New Mexico Agricultural Statistics bulletin.
“It was a challenging year for those in agriculture, but we’ve got tough producers,” Secretary of Agriculture for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture Jeff Witte told KRQE.
New Mexico farmers and ranchers in 2021 were paying more than 6% more in expenses to grow crops and maintain livestock. That comes out to $2.06 billion spent on expenses including feed, equipment, fuel, and maintenance, according to KRQE.
“The largest of that was feed livestock, feed cost,” Witte said. “That’s a direct result of the drought.”
The total value of agricultural production rose 5% in 2021 from 2020, reaching $3.17 billion. Witte attributed that to dairy production, beef production, pecans, and vegetable crops. “Our famous chile crop was also up in value that year as well,” Witte said.
Chile production was down 22%, and pecans were down 100,000 pounds, but New Mexico still leads the nation in chile production in 2021 and was second in pecan production.
Witte said New Mexico is a top 10 dairy state in the nation. Dairy products exports were up from $210 million in 2020 to almost $230 million in 2021. Witte added the beef sector in 2021 was also up.
Overall, the department said the data is a good sign for the state.
“These numbers indicate that New Mexico still has a strong and vibrant agriculture sector, and it cuts across the entire state,” Witte said. “It’s really important in our rural areas, but it’s just as important even in our urban settings as well.”
New Mexico is third in the nation for onion production, ninth for milk production and sixteenth in cattle and calves.
The New Mexico Chile Association said production for 2022 is declining due to labor and water shortages. They said they are currently feeling the shortage of red chile due to bad weather. They said this will lead to an increase in prices.
