NEW MEXICO:There were 6.6 days suitable for field work. Topsoil moisture was 20% very short, 30% short, 49% adequate, and 1% surplus. Wind damage was 8% light and 8% moderate. There was some pecan wind damage reported in Doña Ana County. Farmers were busy with irrigation and harvesting hay, silage, grains, chile, cotton, peanuts, watermelon, cantaloupe, and pumpkins. Alfalfa was in fair to excellent condition, with 95% of the 5^th cutting complete, 59% of the 6^th cutting complete, and 22% of the 7^th cutting complete. Northern counties are working on earlier cuttings. Cotton was listed as fair to excellent, with 78% of bolls opening and harvest had just begun a 4% complete. Corn was in fair to excellent condition. The crop was 93% mature and 15% of the grain corn was harvested. Corn for silage was 92% harvested. Sorghum was in mostly poor to good condition, with 80% coloring, 15% mature, and 1% harvested for grain. Sorghum silage was also being cut. Winter wheat was in mostly fair to good condition. Planting had reached 94% complete and 82% had emerged. Army worm problems have been reported with emerging wheat. Peanuts were listed as fair to good with 10% harvested. Lettuce was fair to excellent and harvest is expected to begin soon. Chile was in mostly fair to excellent condition. Green chile was 86% harvested and red chile was 3% harvested. Fall onions were 25% planted. Pecans were reported in fair to excellent condition. Ranchers spent the week marketing calves, culling herds, and contracting winter feed. Cattle were 6% poor, 22% fair, 68% good, and 4% excellent. Sheep were listed as 1% very poor, 5% poor, 27% fair, 60% good, and 7% excellent. Range and pasture conditions were reported as 5% very poor, 23% poor, 36% fair, 33% good, and 3% excellent. 

Unusually warm temperatures were recorded for much of the week across the state despite a mid week bout with widespread moderate to heavy rain. Temperatures even with the mid week plunge still averaged 5 to 14 degrees above normal. The mix of a strong upper level disturbance and a plume of tropical moisture produced widespread rains on Tuesday night and Wednesday with many locations in the central Rio Grande Valley from Socorro to Santa Fe and also over the northeast plains receiving a good soaking rain of 1.5 to 2.0 inches.

NEW MEXICO: Alfalfa hay prices in September averaged $129.00 per ton, a $3.00 drop from the previous month. All Hay in September also decreased by $3.00 to $127.00 per ton. Cow prices in New Mexico declined by $0.90 to $53.30 per hundredweight but remained higher than the U.S. average price of $50.40. Steer and Heifer prices increased from $107.00 per hundredweight in August to $111.00 per hundredweight and were $19.70 above the national average of $91.30. Calf prices for September dropped by $2.00 from the August price of $135.00 and were in line with the U.S. average of $133.00 per hundredweight. Milk prices for the month increased by $0.30 to $14.50 per hundredweight but were under the national average of $15.10.