The Future of Agriculture: Frequently Asked Questions

Production Economics,

FORECASTING MEXICAN LIVE CATTLE EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES

International Relations/Trade, Livestock Production/Industries,

A Profile of Agriculture in New Mexico from the 1997 Census of Agriculture

Production Economics,

ASSESSING CHANGES IN SOIL EROSION RATES: A MARKOV CHAIN ANALYSIS

Markov chain analysis (one-step and long-run) is applied to the National Resources Inventory (NRI) database to evaluate changes in wind-based soil erosion rates over time. The research compares changes in soil erosion rates between NRI sample sites with and without applied conservation practices for a random sample of Great Plains counties. No significant differences between sites are found for half of the counties evaluated. The effectiveness and efficiency of conservation policies are thus questioned in light of these research results.conservation, Markov, National Resources Inventory, policy, soil erosion, Land Economics/Use,

Market and Welfare Effects of Livestock Feed Subsidies

Agricultural and Food Policy, Livestock Production/Industries,

PREDICTING LAND PURCHASE BEHAVIOR IN A FAST GROWTH, INTENSELY AGRICULTURAL COUNTY

Attitudes toward farmland preservation, agriculture, development, and open space are used to predict land purchases in a rapidly developing, agricultural area. Using data from New Mexico land buyers, a qualitative choice model gives probabilities of individuals purchasing irrigated valley farmland or desert mesa land based on attitudes and socio-economic characteristics.Land Economics/Use,

Elephant Butte Irrigation District

Presented during the Third international conference on irrigation and drainage held March 30 - April 2, 2005 in San Diego, California. The theme of the conference was "Water district management and governance."Includes bibliographical references.Relationships between farm size, irrigation practices, and on-farm irrigation efficiency in the Elephant Butte Irrigation District, New Mexico, U.S.A. are explored using water delivery data supplied by the District. The study area is experiencing rapid population growth, development, and competition for existing water supplies. Analysis of pecan and alfalfa water delivery data, fieldwork, and interviews with irrigators found extremely long irrigation durations, inefficient irrigation practices, inadequate on-farm infrastructure, and little interest in making improvements to the current irrigation system or methods on the smallest farms. These findings are attributed to the nature of residential, lifestyle, or retirement agriculture. Irrigation practices on large farms are notably different from small farms: irrigation durations are shorter, less water is applied, producers are commercially oriented, and have high levels of on-farm efficiency. Many small producers appear to view irrigation as a consumptive, recreational, social, or lifestyle activity, rather than an income generating pursuit. Small farm operators are likely to show limited interest in improving on-farm irrigation infrastructure, adopting management intensive irrigation technologies or practices, or making significant irrigation investments. Easement and common property disputes over ditch maintenance between owners of small parcels also create disincentives for infrastructure improvements.Sponsored by USCID; co-sponsored by Association of California Water Agencies and International Network for Participatory Irrigation Management

Changing face of western irrigated agriculture: structure, water management, and policy implications, The

Presented during the Third international conference on irrigation and drainage held March 30 - April 2, 2005 in San Diego, California. The theme of the conference was "Water district management and governance."Includes bibliographical references.The structure of U.S. agriculture is dualistic and likely to become more so in the future. A small percentage of farms produce the majority of output, and almost three-fourths of U.S. farms sell less than $50,000 worth of goods annually. Farms in the lower sales categories tend to have chronic negative net farm incomes, and many have no intention of earning a living from agriculture. Much of this residential, lifestyle, or retirement agriculture occurs on the urban fringe and in rural areas just beyond the urban fringe. In the arid western U.S., much of it is located in irrigated river valleys, which are also centers of population and economic activity. New Mexico's Elephant Butte Irrigation District (EBID) is located in one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. The region is experiencing water rights adjudication, rapid population growth, economic diversification, and increased competition for water resources. Recent research in the District found large differences in irrigation practices, efficiencies, and on-farm infrastructure relative to farm size. The small, residential, lifestyle, or retirement farms are notably different from the larger, commercially oriented farms. Many small producers view irrigation as a recreational, social, or lifestyle activity, rather than an income generating pursuit. The small farms have limited on-farm infrastructure, low irrigation efficiencies, and little interest in making irrigation improvements. Large, commercially oriented farms have high levels of on-farm irrigation efficiency due to deficit irrigation practices and investments in infrastructure. The Elephant Butte research led to questions about changes in agricultural structure, water management, and water resource policy implications in other western U.S. irrigated districts. We hypothesized that the trends in agricultural structure found in the EBID would appear in other irrigated areas in the West. Analysis of limited U.S. Census of Agriculture data for a sample of western counties supports this hypothesis for some regions. The water policy implications of the findings are discussed.Sponsored by USCID; co-sponsored by Association of California Water Agencies and International Network for Participatory Irrigation Management

Surveys of New Mexico Alfalfa Producers and Dairy Hay Users: Will Growth of the State's Dairy Industry be Limited by Alfalfa Availability?

Production Economics,