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Weekly Ag Update

Issue 55-09

February 22, 2005

Included in this Issue

Weather Summary
Milk Production
Cattle on Feed
Quarterly Farm Labor



WEATHER SUMMARY

It was another warm, wet week for most of New Mexico as several minor storm systems moved across the state. A couple of rare, February severe thunderstorms developed between Albuquerque and Santa Fe on Saturday, producing large hail and funnel clouds. Gallup and Chama measured over an inch of moisture for the week. Temperatures averaged 7 degrees above normal for the state; the southeast plains had several days with afternoon readings topping 70 degrees.

NEW MEXICO WEATHER CONDITIONS - FEBRUARY 14 - 20, 2005
Temperature
Precipitation
Station
Mean
Maximum Minimum 02/14
02/20 		02/01
02/20
Normal
Feb
01/01
02/20 		Normal
Jan-Feb
Farmington 43.2 56 31 0.72 2.10 0.57 3.19 1 .16
Gallup 41.2 53 27 1.15 2.01 0.74 3.43 1 .54
Capulin 37.9 61 20 0.03 0.03 0.56 1.58 0 .96
Chama 31.9 47 15 1.05 2.27 1.58 7.55 3 .35
Johnson Ranch 39.9 55 24 0.67 1.52 0.57 2.11 1 .24
Las Vegas 40.5 62 26 0.17 0.36 0.48 2.21 1 .08
Los Alamos 38.7 52 28 0.39 1.63 0.8 4.26 1 .66
Raton 38.0 63 22 0.03 0.08 0.54 2.91 1 .01
Red River 30.9 44 13 0.57 1.57 1.22 4.31 2 .29
Santa Fe 40.1 55 24 0.64 1.64 0.69 3.57 1 .32
Clayton 42.6 69 25 0.02 0.47 0.31 1.85 0 .55
Clovis 47.6 72 28 0.06 0.82 0.51 3.16 0 .90
Roy 41.2 65 26 0.45 0.60 0.43 2.76 0 .77
Tucumcari 48.1 72 31 0.24 1.08 0.45 2.72 0 .73
Grants 42.1 57 25 0.52 1.03 0.51 2.09 1 .00
Quemado 42.4 56 22 0.28 0.91 0.72 2.14 1 .55
Silver City 44.5 60 29 0.62 3.66 1.25 6.96 2 .41
Albuquerque 47.9 59 34 0.85 1.69 0.46 3.07 0 .90
Carrizozo 46.8 62 30 0.32 1.77 0.57 3.70 1 .17
Socorro 48.2 66 28 0.19 0.82 0.39 2.13 0 .78
Gran Quivera 43.8 58 32 0.30 1.38 0.82 2.65 1 .52
Moriarty 42.9 58 29 0.64 1.01 0.48 2.65 0 .91
Ruidoso 44.9 60 29 0.41 2.81 1.16 4.56 2 .28
Carlsbad 51.8 75 34 0.07 0.86 0.35 1.31 0 .70
Roswell 48.4 77 29 0.00 0.97 0.46 1.68 0 .89
Tatum 47.6 73 33 0.10 0.81 0.5 1.89 0 .89
Alamogordo 53.4 66 40 0.13 2.35 0.54 3.65 1 .21
Animas 52.8 68 35 0.07 1.31 0.51 3.85 1 .19
Deming 53.1 68 34 0.04 1.39 0.46 2.66 1 .02
Las Cruces 53.9 71 34 0.00 1.47 0.37 2.37 0 .83
T or C 53.6 71 35 0.00 1.07 0.38 2.09 0 .84
(T) Trace (-) No Report (*) Correction
All reports based on preliminary data. Precipitation data corrected monthly from official observation forms.

MILK PRODUCTION

UNITED STATES: Milk production in the 23 major States during January totaled 13.2 billion pounds, up 1.3 percent from January 2004. December production, at 13.0 billion pounds, was up 1.2 percent from December 2003. Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,637 pounds for January, 13 pounds above January 2004. The number of cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.08 million head, 38,000 head more than January 2004, but 15,000 head less than December 2004.

NEW MEXICO: Milk production in New Mexico during January totaled 545 million pounds down from the previous month's total of 530 million pounds . Milk per cow for the month averaged 1,710 pounds, a drop of 60 pounds from the December average of 1,650 pounds. Number of milk cows on farms declined by 2,000 head from 321,000 in December to 319,000 in January 2005. New Mexico remains 7th in the nation in total milk production.

Milk Cows and Production: December 20041/ and January 2004-2005
Milk Cows2/ Milk per Cow3/ Milk Production3/
State 1/04 12/04 1/05 1/04 12/04 1/05 1/04 12/04 1/05
-------------1,000 Head-------------- ---------------Pounds------------- ------------Million Pounds----------
AZ 155 166 165 2,010 1,905 1,970 312 316 325
CA 1,701 1,741 1,739 1,760 1,775 1,770 2,994 3,090 3,078
CO 99 102 100 1,830 1,845 1,830 181 188 183
FL 140 138 138 1,435 1,450 1,500 201 200 207
ID 412 435 435 1,800 1,800 1,800 742 783 783
IL 108 106 105 1,610 1,540 1,620 174 163 170
IN 145 155 154 1,695 1,600 1,630 246 248 251
IA 196 188 187 1,680 1,700 1,715 329 320 321
KS 111 111 109 1,695 1,680 1,730 188 186 189
KY 112 110 110 1,090 1,055 1,080 122 116 119
MI 300 307 306 1,780 1,730 1,770 534 531 542
MN 465 460 460 1,505 1,475 1,510 700 679 695
MO 125 119 118 1,265 1,270 1,300 158 151 153
NM 325 321 319 1,760 1,650 1,710 572 530 545
NY 658 650 650 1,490 1,485 1,535 980 965 998
OH 258 266 267 1,450 1,450 1,460 374 386 390
OR 118 120 120 1,565 1,570 1,565 185 188 188
PA 563 565 564 1,500 1,490 1,540 845 842 869
TX 317 319 318 1,660 1,555 1,655 526 496 526
VT 146 143 143 1,515 1,515 1,560 221 217 223
VA 105 104 105 1,410 1,420 1,450 148 148 152
WA 240 235 235 1,895 1,925 1,945 455 452 457
WI 1,245 1,236 1,235 1,505 1,490 1,510 1,874 1,842 1,865
23 STS 8,044 8,097 8,082 1,624 1,610 1,637 13,061 13,037 13,229
1/ Revised. 2/ Includes dry cows, excludes heifers not yet fresh. 3/ Excludes milk sucked by calves.

CATTLE ON FEED

NEW MEXICO: Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in New Mexico for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 129,000 head on February 1, 2005, compared to the total of 126,000 head on January 1, 2005. Placements in feedlots during January totaled 18,000 head, an increase of 4,000 head from the December 2004 total of 14,000 head. Marketings of fed cattle during January totaled 13,000 head. Other disappearance totaled 2,000 head for the month of January.

UNITED STATES: Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.3 million head on February 1, 2005. The inventory was 2 percent above February 1, 2004 and 6 percent above February 1, 2003. Placements in feedlots during January totaled 1.89 million, 7 percent above 2004 but 10 percent below 2003. Net placements were 1.81 million. Marketings of fed cattle during January totaled 1.78 million, up slightly from 2004 but down 10 percent from 2003. Other disappearance totaled 74,000 during January, 21 percent below 2004 and 1 percent below 2003.

Cattle on Feed: Number on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots 1/
Number on Feed Placed Marketed Other Disappearance2/
2/1/04 1/1/05 2/1/05 --------------------------------------------------------DURING------------------------------------------------
1/04 12/04 1/05 1/04 12/04 1/05 1/04 12/04 1/05
----------------------------------------------------------------1,000 Head----------------------------------------------------------------
AZ 296 331 325 32 33 27 26 30 30 3 1 3
CA 500 535 525 55 72 59 60 62 63 5 5 6
CO 1,040 1,080 1,060 165 135 175 160 145 185 5 10 10
ID 275 295 265 41 55 37 64 62 66 2 3 1
IA 385 450 465 64 71 77 47 55 60 2 1 2
KS 2,420 2,410 2,420 455 490 475 440 450 450 25 20 15
NE 2,280 2,300 2,350 380 390 425 360 380 360 20 10 15
NM 117 126 129 17 14 18 13 15 13 2 2 2
OK 350 350 350 50 53 55 53 52 52 2 6 3
SD 200 192 205 30 42 41 29 34 26 1 2 2
TX 2,770 2,700 2,720 390 405 425 430 420 395 20 25 10
WA *195 190 190 *29 39 30 *33 32 29 1 2 1
Oth Sts 310 *340 330 46 35 41 60 40 47 6 5 4
US *11,138 *11,299 11,334 *1,754 1,834 1,885 *1,775 1,777 1,776 94 92 74
* Revised. 1/ Cattle and calves on feed are animals for slaughter market being fed a ration of grain or other concentrates and are expected to produce a carcass that will grade select or better. 2/ Includes death losses, movement from feedlots to pastures, and shipments to other feedlots for further feeding.

QUARTERLY FARM LABOR

NEW MEXICO-ARIZONA: There were 19,000 hired workers on farms and ranches in New Mexico and Arizona during the week of January 9th - 15th, 2005, down 17% from October. Average hours worked increased to 45.2 hours, down up 2.7% from October and slightly more than January 2004. Field worker wage rates increased 26 cents from last January to $7.70 per hour, while livestock workers rose 43 cents to $8.41 per hour. Overall, wage rates for all hired agricultural workers improved to $8.61 an hour, up 24 cents compared to this time last year.

UNITED STATES: There were 749,000 hired workers on the Nation's farms and ranches during the week of January 9- 15,2005, down 12 percent from a year ago. Of these hired workers, 574,000 workers were hired directly by farm operators. Agricultural service employees on farms and ranches made up the remaining 175,000 workers. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $9.81 per hour during the January 2005 reference week, up 40 cents from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $8.73 per hour, up 34 cents from last January, while livestock workers earned $9.19 per hour compared with $8.83 a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at $8.91 per hour, was up 36 cents from last year. The number of hours worked averaged 36.8 hours for hired workers during the survey week, down 3 percent from a year ago.

Workers on Farms, Hours worked Per Week, and Wage Rates for All Hired Workers,
Selected Regions and U.S., January 03-04 1/

Mountain II 2/ Mountain III 3/ Southern Plains 4/ United States 5/
Jan
11-17
2004 		Oct
10-16
2004 		Jan
9-15
2005 		Jan
11-17
2004 		Oct
10-16
2004 		Jan
9-15
2005 		Jan
11-17
2004 		Oct
10-16
2004 		Jan
9-15
2005 		Jan
11-17
2004 		Oct
10-16
2004 		Jan
9-15
2005
-----------------------------------------------------------------Thousands------------------------------------------------------------------
Workers on Farms
All Hired Workers 17 19 17 16 23 19 60 44 50 662 851 574
-------------------------------------------------------------Hours Per Week--------------------------------------------------------------
Hours Worked
All Hired Workers 39.7 41.6 43.4 44.9 44.0 45.2 34.0 40.3 37.0 38.1 40.5 36.8
-------------------------------------------------------------Dollars Per Hours-------------------------------------------------------------
Wages By Work
Type
Field 8.75 8.32 7.37 7.44 7.03 7.70 7.46 8.44 8.01 8.39 *8.62 8.73
Livestock 8.81 8.95 9.65 7.98 8.04 8.41 7.97 8.68 9.35 8.83 8.91 9.19
Field & Livestock 8.80 8.56 8.83 7.69 7.36 8.02 7.73 8.53 8.75 8.55 *8.69 8.91
All Workers 9.80 9.40 9.93 8.37 7.75 8.61 8.43 9.34 9.56 9.41 *9.32 9.81
1/ Excludes agricultural service workers. 2/ Mountain Region II consists of CO, NV & UT. 3/ Mountain Region III consists
of AZ & NM. 4/ Southern Plains region consists of OK & TX. 5/ Excludes AK. *Revised.

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