2014 crop production mixed bag

Managing editor

[email protected]

Production numbers for agricultural crops were up in 2014 across the state with the exception of winter wheat and peanut crops.

The USDA released its annual crop summary last month, saying that sorghum, cotton and hay production numbers for New Mexico rose last year while winter wheat production was down by 33 percent and peanut production by 29 percent.

Local county extension agents said the reason for the production numbers of both crops being down is simple: Drought.

“As far as planting sorghum and corn, it’s pretty practice specific around here. They‘re going to plant them for dairies. They’ve got to have feed for their cows,” said Curry County Extension Agent Luther Dunlap.

Dunlap and Roosevelt County Extension Agent Patrick Kircher said grain sorghum is more drought tolerant than winter wheat.

“A high percentage of the crops raised in our area end up in the dairy market, whether it is sorghum and other grain crops,” Kircher said.

Kircher said with the dairy industry being so prominent in Eastern New Mexico, those are the crops that are more of a guarantee to sell.

Dunlap said many winter wheat crops are also dry land crops. With little moisture, there is not much guarantee they will grow. He said many grain crops, which are used as cattle feed for dairies, are irrigated.

Kircher said along with drought, the closing of Sunland Peanuts in 2013 could have had an impact on production numbers.

The Roosevelt County peanut processor went bankrupt in 2013 after a national salmonella outbreak in 2012 traced back to the plant. The plant’s doors have remained closed since.

“The majority of the peanuts that are raised in our region are Valencia, and they are challenging and expensive to raise,” Kircher said. “After Sunland closed down, there wasn’t going to be a great market for peanuts. With the challenges of peanut production, there are other crops that are cheaper to raise and a safer risk, even without a great market for them.”

Dunlap said moisture received this winter will likely benefit crop production numbers in 2015 but not by much. He said after so many years of drought, both counties will have to see good spring and summer rains also for it to make much of a difference.

“The thing people have to understand is even though we’ve been getting moisture this winter, that doesn’t guarantee we’ll have a crop,” Dunlap said. “The moisture will have to continue this spring. That plant is going to need moisture and if it doesn’t get it, that plant’s production numbers will go down.”

“I think it could very well at least start us off on a better spring than we’ve had for a long time,” added Kircher. “It’s put a small patch on a big problem.”

Dunlap said a new trend he is seeing with local farmers is trying to reduce how much they till (plow) their fields.

He said the less farmers break the ground on their farm land, the more plant residue that is left behind from previous crops, and that residue creates holes in the soil, increasing the level of infiltration for water entering the ground.

Kircher said a another trend he has seen is local farmers considering planting crops that are untraditional for the region, such as winter canola.

“I think the biggest thing dictating what folks are thinking about is living through the drought throughout the years” Kircher said. “Folks just want to make some income so they are open to options. Nothing is off the table.”