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New Mexico State University
NMSU Dairy Extension
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

Welcome to the NMSU Dairy Extension Program

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Mission - Provide information, technology and sound science to the dairy industry in New Mexico.

Goal - Ensure long term sustainability of the dairy industry in New Mexico.

The Extension Dairy program provides NM dairies with sound scientific information related to environmental impacts such as carbon footprint, air emissions, water usage, etc. as an asset in federal or State regulatory matters, as well as a tool to help show public stakeholders about the industry's economic and environmental impact. A recently completed study indicates that the #9 nationally ranked dairy industry has an economic impact of $1.6B, while the milk produced creates another $2.8B in the State of NM. This means that every one of the current 160 or so dairies contributes $10M annually to the State's economy and in doing so provides employment for about 20 people directly and more than 50 jobs indirectly. Collectively the dairies and milk processing facilities in the Southwest generate about $17B, while providing 60,000 jobs, this while their environmental impact has been reduced drastically due to better efficiencies of converting resources to product.

Dairy Extension Links

New Mexico Dairy Facts

Culling and Transporting Dairy Animals

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External Links

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Importance of the New Mexico Dairy Industry

(Updated November 2011)
Overall Total Dairy Production Economic Impact (2009 numbers) $1.6 billion
Overall Total Dairy Processing Economic Impact (2009 numbers) $2.8 billion
Direct Economic Impact to the New Mexico Economy $1.0 billion
Dairy-Percentage of NM Gross Receipts (Jul '10-June '11) 3.9%
Ag-Percentage of NM Gross Receipts (Jul '10-June '11) 9.9% 10th in New Mexico
Dairy receipts as a % of NM total Farm Receipts (2009) 35%
Total Employment Generation in New Mexico (from dairy production) 8,263 jobs $335 million paid in salaries
Direct Employment Generation in New Mexico (from dairy production) 3,325 jobs $142 million paid in salaries
Total Employment Generation in New Mexico (from dairy processing) 9,427 jobs $425 million paid in salaries
Direct Employment Generation in New Mexico (from dairy processing) 1,357 $74 million paid in salaries
Overall Employment Generation in the Southwest from dairy (TX, NM, AZ, OK) 57,482 jobs $3.0 bilion paid in salaries
Number of Cows per Dairy 2,293 1st in the USA
Contribution to National Milk Production 4.1% 9th in the USA
Contribution to Southwest Milk Production (incl. CA) 12.5% 3rd in the Southwest
Growth in the past year (2009-2010) -.3%
Number of Milking Cows (2011) 318,000 head 34th in the USA, down 6.5% from 05/06
Milk Produced 7.9 billion lbs up 12.4% from 05/06
Milk Productivity 24,551 lbs 1th in the USA
Number of Dairy Operations in NM 158 Dairy Farms Down 14 from 05/06
Top 3 counties in NM (Chaves, Curry & Roosevelt) Produce 2/3 of NM Milk

Questions?

Email ces_dairy@nmsu.edu