NEW MEXICO: There were 5.8 days suitable for field work. Topsoil moisture was 1% very short, 30% short, 65% adequate and 4% surplus. Wind damage was 1% light, 15% moderate and 1% severe. Farmers began harvesting red chile, lettuce and sorghum for grain. Alfalfa was in mostly fair to excellent condition, with 70% of the 6^th cutting complete, and 41% of the 7^th cutting complete. Cotton was in mostly fair to excellent condition, with 92% of bolls opening and 12% harvested. Corn was in mostly fair to good condition with 100% mature and 70% harvested for grain. Sorghum was in mostly fair to good condition, with 94% coloring, 24% mature, and 8% harvested for grain. Wheat was in mostly fair to good condition. Peanuts were in fair to good condition with 26% harvested. Lettuce was fair to excellent and 15% harvested. Chile was in mostly fair to excellent condition. Green chile was 94% harvested and red chile was 22% harvested. Fall onions were 78% planted and in fair to good condition. Apples were 100% harvested. Pecans were in fair to excellent condition. Ranchers were weaning calves and moving cattle to winter pastures. Cattle were 8% poor, 15% fair, 65% good, and 12% excellent. Sheep were listed as 4% very poor, 7% poor, 15% fair, 52% good, and 22% excellent. Range and pasture conditions were reported as 3% very poor, 15% poor, 33% fair, 42% good, and 7% excellent.

WEATHER SUMMARY

New Mexico was impacted by two storm systems during the week. One storm exited the state early in the week, and a second system surged northward from Mexico, bringing rain to much of the state Friday night and Saturday. Animas (1.22") and Santa Fe (1.04") both picked up over an inch of moisture. Temperatures for the week were generally a couple of degrees below normal. Precipitation totals for the year have been adjusted based on final reports from September.

OCTOBER CROP PRODUCTION

NEW MEXICO: Corn for Grain acreage harvested is expected to total 45,000 acres, with a yield of 180 bushels an acre, for a total production of 8.1 million bushels. Upland cotton acreage harvested totaled 51,000 acres, with a forecasted yield of 866 pounds an acre, for a total production of 92,000 bales. American-Pima cotton harvested acreage totaled 11,000 acres, with a yield of 916 pounds an acre and a production of 21,000 bales. Sorghum for grain harvested acreage totaled 90,000 acres, with an average yield of 45 bushels an acre. Production is expected to total 60.8 million bushels. Peanut harvested acreage totaled 19,000 acres. The yield is estimated at 3,200 pounds an acre with a total production of 60.8 million pounds. Dry bean acreage is up slightly to 6,300 acres, while yield is down to 2,000 pounds an acre for a total production of 126,000 hundredweight. Alfalfa acreage totaled 250,000 acres with a yield of 5.2 tons an acre. Production is forecasted at 1.3 million tons.

UNITED STATES: Corn for grain acreage harvested and to be harvested for grain was also updated in a number of States and is now forecast at 74.3 million acres, up 15,000 acres from September and 1 percent higher than 2004. All cotton production is forecast at 22.7 million 480-pound bales, up 2 percent from the September forecast but 2 percent below last year's record high production. Yield is expected to average 797 pounds per acre, up 15 pounds from last month but down 58 pounds from 2004. The October area expected for harvest remains unchanged from last month at 13.7 million acres but is up 5 percent from 2004. Upland cotton area for harvest, at 13.4 million acres, is unchanged from last month's forecast but is up 5 percent from last year. American-Pima harvested acres are unchanged from last month but are up 7 percent from 2004. Sorghum production is forecast at 375 million bushels, down 6 percent from last month and down 18 percent from last year. Based on October 1 conditions, the sorghum yield forecast is 66.0 bushels per acre, unchanged from September but down 3.8 bushels from last year. Peanuts production is forecast at 4.92 billion pounds, up 15 percent from last year's crop but down 2 percent from last month. Area for harvest is expected to total 1.61 million acres, unchanged from September but up 15 percent from last year. Yields are expected to average 3,061 pounds per acre, down 56 pounds from September and down 15 pounds from 2004. U.S. dry edible bean production is forecast at 26.1 million cwt for 2005, up 1 percent from the August forecast and 47 percent above last year. Harvested acreage is forecast at 1.52 million acres, 1 percent below the August forecast but up 25 percent from last year. Alfalfa production is forecast at 75.9 million tons, up 3 percent from the August forecast and up 1 percent from last year.

PECANS

NEW MEXICO: The first pecan forecast for the 2005 pecan production year as of October 1^st, is 62 million pounds, a new record for production in New Mexico. The 2005 forecast shows an increase of 23 million pounds from 2004, an “off” year in the alternate bearing cycle of our trees. Compared to the last “on” year in the cycle, 2005's production is currently expected to be 7 million pounds higher than 2003's 55 million pounds of pecans.

UNITED STATES: The October 1 forecast for 2005 pecan utilized production is 289 million pounds (in-shell basis), up 55 percent from last year's crop and 2 percent above 2003. Improved varieties are expected to produce 232 million pounds or 80 percent of the total, while the Native and seedling varieties, at 57.0 million pounds, make up the remaining 20 percent. The 2005 crop is expected to be larger than last year's, in most producing States, mainly because it is an up year in the alternate bearing pattern typical of pecans. Louisiana and Mississippi are exceptions to the high cycle due to extensive hurricane damage to trees.

^1/ Estimates began in 2005.