Let's Talk New Mexico, 7/23, 9am: It’s been a tough couple of years for ranchers – and their cows – in the Southwest. So much so that some cattlemen are reducing their herds in the face of drought, and there are also other threats: like the deadly New World screwworm and a dwindling workforce. The result? Higher beef prices.
In response, the federal government has moved to open up more public land to grazing in the West in addition to other subsidies – such as the expansion of a drought loss program, fertilizer relief, maintaining low grazing fees, and $40 billion in “direct assistance.”
Then there are the environmentalists, who have long questioned the history of these subsidies that, they say, benefit wealthy ranchers while at the same time seriously degrading the environment.
On our next Let’s Talk New Mexico we’ll explore these issues and the state of ranching. And we want to hear from you! Do you make your living off livestock? What do you think New Mexicans should know about the ups and downs of ranching? Have any ideas on how we can balance the use of water, our public lands, and a healthy domestic food supply?
You can leave a recorded message right here on this page using the widget below, email us at LetsTalk@KUNM.org, or call in live during the show, Thursday morning at 9.
Resources and Readings:
- Wealthy Ranchers Profit from Public, ProPublica
- New federal grazing plan would impact ranchers and Mexican wolf protections, KUNM News
- As screwworm approaches New Mexico, agencies focus on outreach with few details on broader response, KUNM News
- Livestock Forage Disaster Program, USDA
- REGENERATE Conference, Quivira Coalition
- New Mexico farm and ranch resource list, New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service
