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Weekly Ag Update

Issue 55-19

May 2, 2005

Included in this Issue

Crop Weather
Ag Prices
2004 Chile Production



CROP SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING MAY 1, 2005


NEW MEXICO: There were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture was 1% very short, 31% short, 66% adequate, and 2% surplus. Wind damage was 26% light, 15% moderate, and 1% severe. Freeze damage was 6% light and 1% moderate. Farmers were busy with land preparation, planting chile, corn and cotton. Alfalfa conditions were reported as 36% fair, 42% good and 22% excellent with the first cutting 53% complete. Last week's Alfalfa first cutting has been revised to 52%. Cotton progress was 63% planted and corn was 26% planted. Total wheat condition was reported as 16% fair, 56% good, and 28% excellent with 31% being grazed. Lettuce condition was 12% fair, 30% good and 58% excellent. Chile condition was 28% fair, 57% good and 15% excellent with 92% planted. Onion condition was in 10% fair, 50% good and 40% excellent. Cattle conditions were 4% poor, 25% fair, 56% good, and 15% excellent. Sheep were reported as 3% very poor, 5% poor, 39% fair, 46% good, and 7% excellent. Range and pasture conditions were 2% very poor, 9% poor, 32% fair, 54% good and 3% excellent. Ranchers were busy branding calves and are still supplemental feeding.

CROP PROGRESS PERCENTAGES WITH COMPARISONS
CROP PROGRESS This Week Last Week Last Year 5-Year Average
CHILE Planted 92 84 97 95
CORN Planted 26 26 49 47
COTTON Planted 63 38 53 48
WHEAT (ALL) Grazed 31 26 N/A N/A




CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITION PERCENTAGES
Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent
Alfalfa -- -- 36 42 22
Apples -- -- 100 -- ---
Chile -- -- 28 57 15
Lettuce -- -- 12 30 58
Onions -- -- 10 50 40
Wheat (All) -- -- 16 56 28
Cattle -- 4 25 56 15
Sheep 3 5 39 46 7
Range/Pasture 2 9 32 54 3




SOIL MOISTURE PERCENTAGES
Very
Short 		Short Adequate Surplus
Northwest 3 25 70 2
Northeast -- 28 68 4
Southwest -- 50 50 --
Southeast -- 31 69 --
State Current 1 31 66 2
State-Last Week 7 23 67 3
State-Last Year 4 57 38 1
State-5-Yr Avg. 31 40 29 --


WEATHER SUMMARY

It was a cooler than normal week across New Mexico, especially across the north and east with averages around 10 degrees below normal. Two weather systems brought a variety of precipitation to the state. The east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo mountains as well as the Northeast Highlands picked up snow accumulations early in the week, and then again on Sunday. For the remainder of the week, a few showers and thunderstorms across the north resulted in near daily precipitation reports from Chama and Red River.

NEW MEXICO WEATHER CONDITIONS - APRIL 25 - May 1, 2005
Temperature
Precipitation
Station
Mean
Maximum Minimum 04/25
05/01 		05/01
05/01
Normal
May
01/01
05/01 		Normal
Jan-May
Farmington 50.5 69 35 0.17 0.02 0.67 4.21 3 .15
Gallup 48.3 65 31 0.13 0.00 0.51 6.14 3 .74
Capulin 39.9 61 27 0.44 0.15 2.30 6.00 5 .16
Chama 36.9 58 20 1.41 0.03 1.11 12.30 7 .72
Johnson Ranch 45.0 65 24 0.10 0.00 0.62 4.52 3 .09
Las Vegas 46.0 64 28 0.11 0.04 1.82 4.80 4 .36
Los Alamos 44.2 65 29 0.19 0.09 1.17 8.29 5 .05
Raton 43.2 64 28 0.23 0.05 2.27 6.84 5 .17
Red River 38.1 51 25 1.62 0.67 1.77 10.67 7 .52
Santa Fe 46.6 66 29 0.05 0.00 1.22 6.54 4 .09
Clayton 45.7 68 32 0.43 0.42 1.99 5.32 4 .03
Clovis 54.6 80 35 0.00 0.00 1.87 4.60 4 .17
Roy 47.4 68 30 0.00 0.00 1.84 5.14 3 .98
Tucumcari 52.6 76 35 0.56 0.09 1.49 5.45 3 .49
Grants 48.6 70 29 0.00 0.00 0.53 3.88 2 .48
Quemado 45.4 66 22 0.00 0.00 0.50 3.59 3 .45
Silver City 0.0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.30 8.06 4 .20
Albuquerque 55.6 72 41 0.00 0.00 0.50 5.42 2 .46
Carrizozo 53.4 73 32 0.43 0.00 0.62 5.85 2 .72
Socorro 54.9 77 35 0.00 0.00 0.52 3.77 1 .93
Gran Quivera 52.1 70 29 0.00 0.00 0.82 5.82 3 .70
Moriarty 48.6 66 32 0.17 0.00 0.97 5.90 3 .07
Ruidoso 48.1 65 29 0.00 0.00 0.87 6.61 5 .11
Carlsbad 62.6 88 40 0.00 0.00 1.16 3.44 2 .65
Roswell 56.6 84 37 0.17 0.00 1.24 3.01 3 .23
Tatum 55.1 83 33 0.01 0.00 2.09 2.82 4 .14
Alamogordo 61.5 81 42 0.00 0.00 0.45 5.72 2 .38
Animas 59.7 83 36 0.00 0.00 0.18 4.78 2 .04
Deming 58.9 82 37 0.00 0.00 0.19 3.78 1 .73
Las Cruces 61.1 82 41 0.00 0.00 0.29 3.83 1 .55
T or C 59.8 79 41 0.00 0.00 0.49 3.14 1 .89
(T) Trace (-) No Report (*) Correction
All reports based on preliminary data. Precipitation data corrected monthly from official observation forms.


     AGRICULTURAL PRICES RECEIVED

Alfalfa hay prices in May remained steady at $124.00 per ton. The average U.S. price was $103.00 per ton. All hay prices also remained unchanged from the March 2005 price of $121.00 per ton with the U.S. average price at $96.90. Cow prices increased by $1.30 to $56.90 per hundredweight, $0.20 cents below the national average of $57.10. Steer and heifer prices increased $2.00 to $109.00 per hundredweight from the March price of $107.00. This price was $13.40 above the national average of $95.60. Calf prices rose to $136.00 per hundredweight, $3.00 below the U.S. average of $139.00 per hundredweight. Prices for milk cow replacements for New Mexico were $1,780 compared to $1,770 for the national average. Milk prices were down by $0.10 cents to $14.50 per hundredweight and were $0.90 cents below the national average of $15.40.

Prices Received by Farmers: Selected Commodities, March 2005 and April 2004-05
Commodity Unit
New Mexico
U.S. 1/
Apr 2004 2/ Mar 2005 2/ Apr 2005 1/ Apr
----------------------------------------------------Dollars------------------------------------------
CROPS
Grain Sorghum Cwt. _ _ _ 2.88
Cotton, Upland Lb. _ _ _ .420
Potatoes Cwt. _ _ _ 6.08
Hay, all baled Ton 136.00 121.00 121.00 96.90
Alfalfa, baled Ton 141.00 124.00 124.00 103.00
Peanuts Lb. _ _ _ .181
Corn Bu. _ _ _ 1.94
Wheat, all Bu. _ _ _ 3.27
LIVESTOCK
Sheep 3/ Cwt. _ _ _ 48.20
Lambs 3/ Cwt. _ _ _ 114.00
Cows Cwt. 49.70 55.60 56.90 57.10
Steers & Heifers Cwt. 95.90 107.00 109.00 95.60
Calves Cwt. 115.00 133.00 136.00 139.00
Milk Cow Replacement 4/ Head 1,590 --- 1,780 1,770
Milk Cwt. 16.00 14.60 14.50 15.40
1/ Mid-month 2/ Entire month 3/ March - entire month 4/ Animals sold for dairy herd replacement only. Prices published Jan., Apr., Jul. And Oct.


2004 NEW MEXICO CHILE PRODUCTION

New Mexico chile production bounced back from the previous year to 106,850 tons, 25 percent above 2003. The increase stems from an increase in harvested acreage, estimated at 15,400 acres, and higher yields.

Overall state yields were much higher than the previous year with green long mild averaging 14.5 tons per acre, green long hot averaged 8.7 tons per acre and Cayenne averaged 9.9 tons per acre.

The value of New Mexico chile was estimated at $50.33 million, 23 percent above the previous year.

2004 Chile Acreage and Production by District &County
Planted Acreage Harvested Acreage Production (Tons)
County 2002 2003 2004 2002 2003 2004 2002 2003 2004
Districts 10 & 30 800 300 500 600 200 300 2,610 840 1,170
District 70 9,200 8,800 8,400 8,500 8,600 8,100 59,830 55,810 63,060
Hidalgo 2,600 2,900 2,900 2,400 2,800 2,700 13,700 8,630 10,880
Luna 5,600 5,100 4,400 5,300 5,000 4,300 42,050 43,680 46,410
Other Counties 1,000 800 1,100 800 800 1,100 4,080 3,500 5,770
District 90 8,000 6,700 7,400 7,700 5,900 7,000 33,960 28,710 42,620
Chaves 1,100 1,000 1,100 1,100 500 1,100 2,880 1,450 3,810
Doña Ana 4,500 3,500 4,200 4,400 3,400 3,900 27,170 24,410 34,830
Other Counties 2,400 2,200 2,100 2,200 2,000 2,000 3,910 2,850 3,980
State 18,000 15,800 16,300 16,800 14,700 15,400 96,400 85,360 106,850


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