Public should be aware of New Mexico pecan weevil quarantine

Public should be aware of New Mexico pecan weevil quarantine

Regional effort among Arizona, New Mexico and Texas is encouraged

LAS CRUCES – The New Mexico pecan industry is important to the state’s economy, and New Mexico Department of Agriculture officials remind the public of the Pecan Weevil Quarantine Rule that affects movement of in-shell pecans.

Last November, the Pecan Weevil Interior Quarantine Rule went into effect. The rule establishes quarantine areas, restrictions and treatment options. Quarantined areas include Eddy, Lea and Chaves Counties. The interior rule is an addition to New Mexico’s Pecan Weevil Exterior Quarantine Rule enacted in 1997. The exterior rule restricts the movement of in-shell pecans originating in all states except Arizona, California and the Texas counties of El Paso and Hudspeth, as well as parts of Culberson County.

To prevent the spread of pecan weevil in New Mexico, in-shell pecans cannot be transported out of quarantined areas unless one of the following treatments has occurred:

• Storage in an approved cold storage chamber at or below zero degrees Fahrenheit for a period of seven consecutive days (168 hours) after the entire lot reaches zero degrees Fahrenheit
• Immersion in hot water for a period of five minutes after reaching a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit

The shipment of in-shell pecans originating from a New Mexico quarantined county directly to an approved New Mexico cold storage facility is allowed. Approval from NMDA must be obtained prior to shipments. In-shell pecan shipments that do not comply with state pecan weevil quarantine requirements risk destruction, confiscation or other consequences as allowed by state law.

Pecan weevil is considered the most significant insect pest of pecan producers. If not contained, the pest could affect the state’s pecan industry’s economic impact. According to the United States Department of Agriculture–National Agricultural Statistics Service, the state’s pecan production in 2018 was over 91 million pounds with a production value of $187 million.  New Mexico’s 2019 pecan production forecast is at a record high of 97 million pounds.

New Mexico leads the nation in pecan production density. The top five pecan-producing counties in the state are Doña Ana (over 34,000 acres), Eddy (over 5,000), Chaves (over 3,000), Luna (over 1,000) and Sierra (about 500). Doña Ana County leads the entire nation in pecan production with just under 67 million pounds from 34,319 acres.

Widespread establishment of pecan weevil in New Mexico’s commercial and residential pecan acres would result in additional two-to-four pesticide applications at an estimated statewide industry cost of $4.0 to $6.5 million per year. Until an effective control method is developed, establishment of pecan weevil in the state’s organic pecan orchards would probably result in the loss of that portion of the industry.

If you suspect the presence of pecan weevil or have any questions, please contact the New Mexico Department of Agriculture at 575-646-3207.

USDA Invites Input on Environmental Quality Incentives Program Rule

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USDA Invites Input on Environmental Quality Incentives Program Rule

Contact:
FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 16, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) seeks public comments on its interim rule for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), USDA’s flagship program that helps producers plan and implement 150-plus conservation practices on working lands. The rule – now available on the Federal Register – takes effect upon publication and includes changes to the program prescribed by the 2018 Farm Bill.
“The Environmental Quality Incentives Program gives farmers, ranchers and forest landowners the tools they need to improve their agricultural operations while conserving natural resources,” NRCS Chief Matthew Lohr said. “The 2018 Farm Bill further strengthens this popular conservation program to enable NRCS to better support locally led conservation efforts while also expanding producers’ ability to address significant resource concerns.”
NRCS will make available $1.2 billion for interested producers in fiscal 2020. NRCS state offices will announce signup periods for EQIP in the coming weeks.
Changes to EQIP include:

• Creating incentive contracts and payments for incentive practices to better support locally led conservation needs.
• Requiring NRCS to offer an advance payment option for historically underserved producers.
• Raising the payment cap for producers participating in the Organic Initiative to $140,000 for contracts entered into between fiscal 2019 through 2023.
• Expanding the Conservation Innovation Grant program, which is funded through EQIP, to include opportunities for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trails and Soil Health Demonstration Trials.

The 2018 Farm Bill created incentive contracts, which address up to three priority resource concerns within targeted watersheds and other high priority landscapes. While typical EQIP contracts last five years, these contracts last five to 10 years.
The Farm Bill also enabled increased payments for priority practices, through which NRCS can designate up to 10 practices in each state to receive the higher rates.
Submitting Comments
NRCS invites comments on this interim rule through February 18, 2020. Electronic comments must be submitted through regulations.gov      under Docket ID NRCS-2019-0009. All written comments received will be publicly available on http://www.regulations.gov.        
NRCS will evaluate public comments to determine whether additional changes are needed. The agency plans on publishing a final rule following public comment review.
Applying for EQIP
NRCS provides producers with financial resources and one-on-one help to plan and implement conservation practices through EQIP. Popular EQIP practices include cover crops, nutrient management, forest stand improvement, prescribed grazing, irrigation efficiency improvement, and practices related to water quality improvement. Implementing conservation practices can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat while improving agricultural operations.
EQIP applications are accepted on a continuous basis. If a producer’s application is funded, NRCS will offer an EQIP contract for financial assistance for the cost of implementing the practices. Payment rates for conservation practices are reviewed and set each fiscal year.
For more information on how to sign up for EQIP in your state, visit your state website from nrcs.usda.gov or contact your local NRCS field office.

Secretary Perdue Statement on USMCA Agreement

Secretary Perdue Statement on USMCA Agreement

(Washington, D.C., December 10, 2019) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement after United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced agreement on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA): “USMCA is a big win for American workers and the economy, especially for our farmers and ranchers. The agreement improves virtually every component of the old NAFTA, and the agriculture industry stands to gain significantly,” said Secretary Perdue. “President Trump and Ambassador Lighthizer are laying the foundation for a stronger farm economy through USMCA and I thank them for all their hard work and perseverance to get the agreement across the finish line. While I am very encouraged by today’s breakthrough, we must not lose sight – the House and Senate need to work diligently to pass USMCA by Christmas.” Background: USMCA will advance United States agricultural interests in two of the most important markets for American farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses. This high-standard agreement builds upon our existing markets to expand United States food and agricultural exports and support food processing and rural jobs. Canada and Mexico are our first and second largest export markets for United States food and agricultural products, totaling more than $39.7 billion food and agricultural exports in 2018. These exports support more than 325,000 American jobs. All food and agricultural products that have zero tariffs under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will remain at zero tariffs. Since the original NAFTA did not eliminate all tariffs on agricultural trade between the United States and Canada, the USMCA will create new market access opportunities for United States exports to Canada of dairy, poultry, and eggs, and in exchange the United States will provide new access to Canada for some dairy, peanut, and a limited amount of sugar and sugar-containing products. Earlier this year, nearly 1,000 American food and agriculture associations and companies announced their support for USMCA and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture signed a letter to Congressional leadership urging them to ratify USMCA. In September, all former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture since President Reagan’s Administration announced support for USMCA. In a letter to Congressional leaders, former Secretaries John Block (Reagan), Mike Espy (Clinton), Dan Glickman (Clinton), Ann Veneman (W. Bush), Mike Johanns (W. Bush), Ed Shafer (W. Bush), and Tom Vilsack (Obama) underscored the importance of passing USMCA saying, “We need a strong and reliable trade deal with our top two customers for U.S. agriculture products. USMCA will provide certainty in the North American market for the U.S. farm sector and rural economy. We strongly support ratification of USMCA.” Key Provision: Increasing Dairy Market Access ·    America’s dairy farmers will have expanded market opportunities in Canada for a wide variety of dairy products. Canada agreed to eliminate the unfair Class 6 and 7 milk pricing programs that allowed their farmers to undersell U.S. producers. Key Provision: Biotechnology ·    For the first time, the agreement specifically addresses agricultural biotechnology – including new technologies such as gene editing – to support innovation and reduce trade-distorting policies. Key Provision: Geographical Indications ·    The agreement institutes a more rigorous process for establishing geographical indicators and lays out additional factors to be considered in determining whether a term is a common name. Key Provision: Sanitary/Phytosanitary Measures ·    The three countries agree to strengthen disciplines for science-based measures that protect human, animal, and plant health while improving the flow of trade. Key Provision: Poultry and Eggs ·    U.S. poultry producers will have expanded access to Canada for chicken, turkey, and eggs. Key Provision: Wheat ·    Canada agrees to terminate its discriminatory wheat grading system, enabling U.S. growers to be more competitive. Key Provision: Wine and Spirits ·    The three countries agree to avoid technical barriers to trade through non-discrimination and transparency regarding sale, distribution, labeling, and certification of wine and distilled spirits. ###

NM Forestery trees

Ordering for seedlings from the NM Forestry Division Conservation seedling program for Spring 2020 begins December 2, 2019 and orders will be accepted through April 17, 2020.  Distribution of seedlings begins March 9, 2020 and ends on April 24, 2020.  You may order on-line at www.nmforestry.com or by mailing in an order form with payment (order forms can be downloaded and printed from the website).  We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover for on-line orders and check for mail orders.  The cost of seedlings is $80.00 per 49 small container seedlings, $57.00 per 20 large container seedlings (limited species availability) and $62.00 per 50 bareroot seedlings (are in bundles of 25 per species).  See website for availability.  Also, please note due to a substantial increase in UPS shipping costs there is now a $10.00 shipping fee for each lot of seedlings ordered that are shipped UPS.

Over 42,000 seedlings and more than 60 species are available for purchase through the Spring 2020 Conservation Seedling Program.