NEW MEXICO: There were 4 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture was 2% very short, 8% short, 74% adequate, and 16% surplus. Wind damage was 16% light, 13% moderate, and 1% severe. Freeze damage was 16% light, 21% moderate, and 6% severe. Damage to fruit trees and reports of calf loss due to the storm early in the week were received. Farm and ranch activities, slowed by the winter storm, included ground preparation. Spring planting in some areas has been delayed due to high soil moisture. Alfalfa conditions were reported as 1% poor, 30% fair, 48% good and 21% excellent, with some reports of aphids and mustard weed. Total wheat condition was reported as 1% poor, 8% fair, 77% good, and 14% excellent with 75% being grazed. Lettuce condition was in 24% fair and 76% good condition with 43% of the crop planted. Onions were in 100% good condition with 90% of the crop planted. Cattle conditions were 2% poor, 41% fair, 46% good, and 11% excellent. Sheep were reported as 2% very poor, 3% poor, 43% fair, 47% good, and 5% excellent. Range and pasture conditions were 2% very poor, 11% poor, 40% fair, 43% good and 4% excellent with reports stating the snow moisture received last week will provide good moisture for spring growth of pastures.
 

CROP PROGRESS PERCENTAGES WITH COMPARISONS
CROP PROGRESS		This Week	Last Week	Last Year	5-Year Average
CHILE	Planted	43	12	33	24
ONIONS	Planted	90	80	95	91
WHEAT (ALL)	Grazed	75	48	29	N/A

One of the more significant winter storms in recent years struck New Mexico early in the week. Snowfall amounts as high as 3 feet were measured along the eastern slopes of the central mountain chain. Roy, Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Gallup, Tucumcari and Moriarty all reported more than an inch of moisture. Temperatures were also below normal for the week, and readings dipped below zero over portions of the north and east.

NEW MEXICO WEATHER CONDITIONS - MARCH 14 - 20, 2005
	Temperature			Precipitation
Station	Mean	Maximum	Minimum	03/14 03/20	03/01 03/20	Normal Mar	01/01 03/20	Normal Jan-Mar
Farmington	40.0	59	20	0.23	0.24	0.81	3.14	1 .97
Gallup	36.3	53	15	1.02	1.47	1.05	5.28	2 .59
Capulin	25.5	54	-12	0.66	0.86	0.89	2.46	1 .85
Chama	27.8	48	-1	0.16	0.20	1.99	8.80	5 .34
Johnson Ranch	31.6	50	0	0.75	1.13	0.74	3.49	1 .98
Las Vegas	27.3	45	2	0.69	0.94	0.63	3.69	1 .71
Los Alamos	28.6	44	6	1.24	1.38	1.22	6.12	2 .88
Raton	28.6	57	-4	0.30	0.54	0.83	3.44	1 .84
Red River	21.9	40	-11	0.63	1.30	1.78	6.49	4 .07
Santa Fe	29.9	51	2	1.02	1.43	0.74	5.15	2 .06
Clayton	34.3	63	13	0.52	0.60	0.55	2.81	1 .10
Clovis	40.6	66	16	0.54	0.57	0.59	3.63	1 .49
Roy	26.9	55	-2	1.25	1.25	0.55	4.01	1 .32
Tucumcari	38.5	67	14	1.56	1.71	0.40	4.47	1 .13
Grants	35.9	54	11	0.35	0.87	0.50	3.40	1 .50
Quemado	33.2	51	4	0.16	0.55	0.80	2.96	2 .35
Silver City	40.6	55	17	0.00	0.00	0.96	7.66	3 .37
Albuquerque	40.9	60	18	0.58	0.97	0.54	4.13	1 .44
Carrizozo	11.4	56	24	0.11	1.93	0.57	5.78	1 .74
Socorro	44.3	64	19	0.17	0.69	0.27	3.40	1 .05
Gran Quivera	34.0	57	5	0.26	1.30	0.72	4.86	2 .24
Moriarty	30.7	54	-10	1.45	1.68	0.53	4.79	1 .44
Ruidoso	38.4	60	4	0.75	0.82	1.33	6.04	3 .61
Carlsbad	48.8	72	27	0.33	0.44	0.30	2.81	1 .00
Roswell	44.4	71	23	0.45	0.58	0.45	2.52	1 .34
Tatum	43.5	70	22	0.33	0.35	0.52	2.47	1 .41
Alamogordo	49.8	66	22	0.09	0.28	0.46	4.61	1 .67
Animas	50.4	68	28	0.00	0.38	0.47	4.57	1 .66
Deming	49.1	72	25	0.05	0.29	0.34	3.21	1 .36
Las Cruces	49.3	71	26	0.00	0.15	0.22	3.60	1 .05
T or C	48.6	68	24	0.02	0.35	0.34	2.66	1 .18
(T) Trace (-) No Report (*) Correction All reports based on preliminary data. Precipitation data corrected monthly from official observation forms.

NEW MEXICO: Milk production in the state during February totaled 499 million pounds. Production per cow in New Mexico averaged 1,560 pounds. The average number of milk cows increased by 1,000 head to 320,000.

UNITED STATES: Milk production in the 23 major States during February totaled 12.2 billion pounds, down 0.7 percent from February 2004. However, production was 2.8 percent above last year after adjusting for the leap year. Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,516 pounds for February, 15 pounds below February 2004. The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.07 million head, 23,000 head more than February 2004, but 9,000 head less than January 2005.
 

Milk Cows and Production: January 20041/ and February 2004-2005
	Milk Cows2/			Milk per Cow3/			Milk Production3/
State	2/04	1/05	2/05	2/04	1/05	2/05	2/04	1/05	2/05
	-------------1,000 Head--------------			---------------Pounds-------------			------------Million Pounds----------
AZ	155	165	164	1,960	1,970	1,840	304	325	302
CA	1,706	1,739	1,742	1,675	1,770	1,635	2,858	3,078	2,848
CO	100	100	99	1,680	1,860	1,720	168	186	170
FL	139	138	139	1,415	1,500	1,460	197	207	203
ID	412	436	437	1,660	1,830	1,660	684	798	725
IL	108	105	105	1,520	1,620	1,500	164	170	158
IN	145	154	154	1,565	1,630	1,510	227	251	233
IA	195	187	187	1,590	1,715	1,580	310	321	295
KS	112	109	108	1,545	1,730	1,570	173	189	170
KY	111	110	110	1,035	1,090	1,020	115	120	112
MI	299	306	306	1,660	1,770	1,640	496	542	502
MN	465	460	455	1,415	1,520	1,405	658	699	639
MO	124	118	117	1,185	1,300	1,220	147	153	143
NM	326	319	320	1,660	1,710	1,560	541	545	499
NY	660	650	650	1,400	1,535	1,415	924	998	920
OH	259	267	267	1,370	1,460	1,370	355	390	366
OR	119	120	120	1,475	1,565	1,460	176	188	175
PA	564	564	560	1,425	1,540	1,420	804	869	795
TX	317	318	317	1,585	1,655	1,560	502	526	495
VT	145	143	143	1,435	1,560	1,430	208	223	204
VA	105	105	105	1,320	1,465	1,360	139	154	143
WA	240	235	235	1,790	1,960	1,820	430	461	428
WI	1,245	1,235	1,234	1,405	1,510	1,390	1,749	1,865	1,715
23 STS	8,051	8,083	8,074	1,531	1,640	1,516	12,329	13,258	12,240
1/ Revised. 2/ Includes dry cows, excludes heifers not yet fresh. 3/ Excludes milk sucked by calves.

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 11.2 million head on March 1, 2005. Placements in feedlots during February totaled 1.52 million, 6 percent below 2004 and 8 percent below 2003. Marketings of fed cattle during February totaled 1.63 million, 4 percent below 2004 and 6 percent below 2003. Other disappearance totaled 76,000 during February, 10 percent above 2004 and 7 percent above 2003.
 

Cattle on Feed: Number on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots 1/
	Number on Feed			Placed			Marketed			Other Disappearance2/
	3/1/04	2/1/05	3/1/05	---------------------------------------------DURING----------------------------------------------------
				2/04	1/05	2/05	2/04	1/05	2/05	2/04	1/05	2/05
	----------------------------------------------------------------1,000 Head----------------------------------------------------------------
AZ	295	325	322	27	27	23	25	30	24	3	3	2
CA	500	525	515	56	59	49	52	63	54	4	6	5
CO	1,020	1,060	1,040	155	175	175	165	185	185	10	10	10
ID	265	*270	250	43	37	33	52	*61	52	1	1	1
IA	405	465	465	61	77	57	40	60	55	1	2	2
KS	2,390	2,420	2,370	390	475	360	405	450	390	15	15	20
NE	2,270	2,350	2,320	350	425	315	345	360	330	15	15	15
NM	112	129	125	16	18	13	20	13	14	1	2	3
OK	335	350	340	47	55	48	59	52	56	3	3	2
SD	210	205	210	43	41	32	32	26	26	1	2	1
TX	2,690	2,720	2,690	350	425	340	420	395	360	10	10	10
WA	185	190	185	26	30	32	34	29	35	2	1	2
Oth Sts	310	330	320	48	41	46	45	47	53	3	4	3
US	10,987	*11,339	11,152	1,612	1,885	1,523	1,694	*1,771	1,634	69	74	76
*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.

Return to:
Publication List
Previous Ag Update Issues