agriculture

As the federal Farm Bill continues to stagnate in Congress, U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández hosted a roundtable this week with New Mexico farmers and ranchers to hear their concerns.

Congress has yet to establish a new Farm Bill after the last one expired in September after five years. The continued delay has left many wondering what the implications might be. Director and Secretary of New Mexico's Department of Agriculture Jeff Witte discussed the impacts New Mexico could face if the Farm Bill doesn’t get signed soon.

The report analyzed water use in the state and criticized dairies, alfalfa farming and pecan farming as, "egregious examples of water misuse."

A new study shows that over a 20-year period, the weather got hotter and heat-related insurance costs rose for farmers and taxpayers

Some Northern New Mexico ranchers are feeling left out of the loop on federal legislation proposed by U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich that could cut down on grazing allotments on federal land in New Mexico. The Northern New Mexico Stockman’s Association is holding a meeting Saturday in Taos to discuss the bill and other pertinent issues to the agricultural community.

The federal government is keeping a watchful eye on the Mexican gray wolf population as initiatives continue to reintroduce them into the American Southwest. But, these slowly increasing numbers have reignited a centuries-old debate between the agricultural industry, environmentalists, and local, and federal governments about the true role wolves have in the wild.

Introduced by Rep. Melanie Stansbury, the bills aim to improve water data nationally and facilitate better water management across the Rio Grande Basin.

A recent paper out of Colorado State University suggests the loss of bats due to white-nose syndrome costs U.S. agriculture up to $495 million a year.

Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau said the New Belen Wasteway, a Bureau of Reclamation project that routes agricultural runoff back to the Rio Grande, is an example of an investment in water infrastructure that has huge impacts on surrounding communities.

In agriculture, especially growing fruit and vegetables, margins have long been tight, with labor costs and drought causing headaches. But now supply chain issues and the war in Eastern Europe have driven fuel and fertilizer prices way up. And farmers are having to make tough choices.