New Mexico State University (NMSU) has revealed that its Cooperative Extension Service and the AgriLife Extension Service of Texas A&M University will collaboratively host the annual Southwest Beef Symposium. The event is designed to address the current challenges confronting cattle producers in New Mexico and West Texas.
The first day of the symposium will provide attendees with updates on late feeding mortality in beef cattle, an economic outlook for 2024, and a review of beef quality trends over the past two decades. The day will conclude with a concentrated discussion on genomic testing of commercial herds. On the second day, topics such as cow size and efficiency, range monitoring with new technology, and prussic acid and nitrate toxicity management will be covered. The symposium is scheduled for March 7 and 8 at the Roswell Civic Center in New Mexico. Registration costs $85 per person if received by Mar. 2, with late registration fees of $100 applicable from Mar. 3 through March 7, according to a press release by NMSU.
"Tight cattle inventories, drought and volatile markets are only a few of the issues producers in the southwest face," said Marcy Ward, NMSU Extension livestock specialist, as reported in a press release by NMSU. "Therefore, the overall theme of this year’s symposium will be addressing economic and cattle performance trends and offering ideas on how to improve efficiency in the feed yard and the cow herd."
The New Mexico Cooperative Extension Service (CES), which operates as a unique partnership between federal, state, and county entities, extends its reach across all 33 counties and numerous Tribal areas in New Mexico. CES collaborates with over 1,000 organizations including state and federal agencies, other universities, alongside a dedicated volunteer base of 10,000 individuals. CES forms part of NMSU's College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences according to the CES webpage provided by NMSU.