Brienna Bowman
May 1, 2015
Agro 100
“How is the agriculture business at New Mexico State compared to Texas State?”
The population is growing and every year there’s money generating differently at each state, even
for our home state New Mexico. I took the time to research about New Mexico’s agriculture business and
to compare it to our neighbor state Texas’s agriculture business. To compare them I would say the
common success they have which are these agriculture products such as dairy products, cattle and calves,
and greenhouse and nursery products. The difference is that our home state New Mexico’s other
successful agriculture products are hay and pecans. Our neighbor state Texas’s other top agriculture
products are cotton and broiler (young chicken).
In terms of revenue generated New Mexico’s top five agricultural products are hay, pecans, cattle
and calves, dairy products, and greenhouse and nursery products according to the research of finding what
generated New Mexico’s agriculture income.
One the most important agricultural activities in New Mexico are dairy and cattle ranching.
Reported by the United States Department of Agriculture, there is about 39 percent of the state’s total
agricultural receipts are generated by dairy products. Also there’s about 37 percent by beef cattle and
calves. Beef cattle are shipped to other states for fattening and slaughter. Sheep and lambs and hogs are
also important products to their economy because of the results.
Water is scarce in New Mexico and most croplands must be irrigated. Not surprisingly, the
leading crop is hay used to feed cattle. Pecans rank second behind hay and account for about 3 or 4
percent of the state’s total agricultural receipts. Greenhouse and nursery products generate about 2 percent
of New Mexico’s total cash receipts. Other crops are grown as well and New Mexico is a leading producer
of chili peppers and onions. Some cotton, grain sorghum and wheat is also grown in the state.
Manufacturers add value to raw products by creating manufactured items. For example, cotton
cloth becomes more valuable than a boll of cotton through manufacturing processes. The leading products
of New Mexico’s manufacturing industries are computer and electronic equipment. Silicon computer
chips are produced in the state making this sector worth about 80% of the manufacturing industry.
Another important product in this sector is telephone equipment. Chemicals, clothing, concrete, food
products, petroleum products and printed materials are also produced in New Mexico
A leading state in the value of its mined products, petroleum and natural gas account for over
80% of the value in mining. Coal is also important. Copper, potash, molybdenum, uranium are also mined
in the state. Gold and silver are produced as by-products of copper processing activities. New Mexico is a
leading state in the production of molybdenum.
