WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today reported that legislation moving through Congress contains more than $36 million to help New Mexico farmers and ranchers, and to preserve New Mexico's natural resources.
The Senate's version of the fiscal year 2011 Agricultural Appropriations Bill cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now ready for consideration by the full Senate.
"Farming and ranching are the backbone of New Mexico's economy. The legislation we're developing lends strong support to the agricultural community," Bingaman said.
"New Mexico's farmers and ranchers continue to struggle with the impact of the recent recession, including fluctuating costs and declining prices," Udall said. "This spending bill will help provide our farmers and ranchers with the resources they need to recover from this downturn and be competitive into the future."
The legislation contains funding for projects requested by Bingaman and Udall, including $350,000 for the Southern Great Plains Dairy Consortium - a partnership of New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma and federal institutions - that coordinates research to improve dairy production through animal nutrition, health, and management.
It also includes $1.05 million for New Mexico State University's Efficient Irrigation for Water Conservation in the Rio Grande Basin Program, which is developing conservation strategies for meeting present and future water demand in the region.
The Agriculture Appropriations Bill contains support for the following projects requested by Bingaman and Udall:
$404,000 - New Mexico Rapid Syndrome Validation Program at New Mexico State University:. Funding would be used to coordinate the work of large animal veterinarians from New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Texas and their associated livestock regulatory agencies to develop an up-to-date, readily-accessible source of information about livestock health and disease.
$200,000 - New Mexico Range Improvement Task Program, New Mexico State University: Funding would allow the program to enhance its role as a provider of unbiased, state-of-the-art, scientific information, evaluation and assessment on private and public lands.
$168,000 - Cataloging Genes Associated with Drought and Disease Resistance in Crop Plants program, New Mexico State University: Funding would allow researchers to continue applying systems biology to test hypotheses about how crop plants and plants native to the drought-prone Southwest respond to drought and disease stresses.
$1.05 Million - Efficient Irrigation for Water Conservation in the Rio Grande Basin program, New Mexico State University: Funding would allow the initiative to continue providing research, education and training in efficient agricultural and urban landscape irrigation systems to conserve water in the Rio Grande Basin.
$200,000 to restore and maintain riparian areas along the Rio Grande, Pecos and Canadian Rivers where the state is working to treat and kill the noxious salt cedar: The funding would be used to restore native vegetation to riparian areas in order to stabilize soils, to maintain replanted areas, and for management to prevent invasive species from returning to treated areas.
$24 million for Water and Wastewater Projects in Colonias along the U.S.-Mexico border: New Mexico is expected to get about $7 million of this funding.
$983,000 for the Joe Skeen Institute for Rangeland Management: The institute conducts research on agricultural, range management, animal husbandry, education and extension programs. The institute is a joint effort of NMSU, Texas A&M and Montana State.
$800,000 for USDA to contract with the Albuquerque-based National Tribal Environmental Council: The funding would be used to continue a Native American circuit rider program to provide technical assistance for rural water systems.
$25 million to continue a Bingaman-created grant program that supports community development projects in Native American Communities. The funds are set aside for basic drinking water and wastewater systems, tribal colleges, and business promotion in Indian country.
$199,000 Alternatives to Pesticides through Biotechnology program, New Mexico State University: Funding would allow for research on transferring genetic information to plants in order to create commercially-viable crops - including alfalfa, rice, eggplant, and potatoes - with resistance to nematodes and other pests.
$178,000 Soil-borne Disease Prevention Irrigated Agriculture program, New Mexico State University: Funding would be used to develop strategies for the prevention of soil-borne disease in irrigated agriculture with a long-term goal of producing an adequate amount of safe and nutritious food.
$350,000 Southern Great Plains Dairy Consortium, New Mexico State University: Funding would be used to develop new technologies to improve dairy production and efficiency with a goal of producing a safe, competitively priced supply of milk and related products.
