Agriculture

Farmers and ranchers play a critical role in New Mexico’s economy. As a $4 billion industry, our farmers help drive the economy and have shaped our state’s history, as many growers in New Mexico come from families that have cultivated land for generations. However, many challenges today such as water shortage and wildfire have made farming difficult.

I am strong proponent and cosponsor of Senate’s bipartisan farm bill, which aims to help our farmers and ranchers who face difficult times because of the severe drought affecting the country. The bill reforms a number of the existing subsidies for crops, and eliminates the direct subsidy payments that farmers don’t need, providing a saving of about $5 billion per year. It reauthorizes federal funding for important programs including, soil and water conservation, rural economic development, disaster assistance, renewable energy, and food and nutrition programs.

Latest

  • Udall, Heinrich, Luján, Lujan Grisham Announce Passage of Bipartisan Measure to Expedite Gold King Mine Spill Recovery

    WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that a bipartisan measure to expedite reimbursements to Tribal, local and state governments for costs incurred in responding to the Gold King Mine spill has passed both Houses of Congress as an amendment to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The amendment - authored by Senators Udall and Heinrich on the Senate side and introduced by Luján on the House side, and supported by all four of the lawmakers — forces the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to extend the date to reimburse governments for their emergency response efforts, directs the EPA to quickly address claims filed by individual farmers, and authorizes the EPA to coordinate with governments and pay for water monitoring efforts.  Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Announce $4.4 Million for NMSU Research to Support Sustainability and Profitability of Pecan Industry

    Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that New Mexico State University (NMSU) will receive more than $4.4 million to support research on pecan genetics and breeding that will help New Mexico pecan farmers improve the sustainability and profitability of their crops. The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, which Udall and Heinrich supported. The funded research will allow for the development of genetic tools that will help farmers select varieties of trees that will thrive in the varying growing conditions of different regions. Read More

  • Heinrich Celebrates 65th Anniversary Of Bueno Foods, Commends Business's Effort To Protect Authentic New Mexico-Grown Chile

    U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) submitted a statement for the record to the United States Senate to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Bueno Foods, a New Mexico family-owned business. Bueno Foods was started in 1951 in Albuquerque and has since become well known for their wide array of New Mexico products. Bueno Foods and New Mexico chile farmers have been working together to protect authentic New Mexico-grown chile. Read More

  • Heinrich Votes Against Bill To Prohibit GMO Labeling

    Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) voted against legislation that would prevent states from setting clear rules regarding labeling on food packaging for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The legislation received a 48 to 49 vote, failing to gain the required 60 votes to advance. Senator Heinrich supports requiring a federal labeling GMO standard so consumers can make informed decisions about the food they purchase and feed their families. Read More

  • Heinrich Cosponsors GMO Food Labeling Legislation

    U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is cosponsoring S.2621, the Biotechnology Food Labeling Uniformity Act, a bill introduced by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) to ensure that consumers can find genetically modified organism (GMO) ingredient labeling on food packaging, while ensuring that food producers are not subject to confusing or conflicting labeling requirements in different locations. The legislation presents an alternative to a Senate Agriculture Committee bill being debated on the floor this week that would preempt state GMO labeling laws. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Congratulate iBeam Materials on Partnership with Energy Department to Advance Clean Energy Economy

    Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that iBeam Materials, Inc. of Santa Fe has been selected to partner with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Sandia National Laboratories to accelerate the transformation toward a clean energy economy. iBeam is one of 33 small businesses nationwide that will receive funding under the highly competitive Round 1 of DOE's new Small Business Vouchers (SBV) pilot. The award includes $225,000 for technical assistance to support iBeam's work to create game-changing LED products that disrupt the lighting, display and wearable electronics industries. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich, Luján Welcome $2.55 Million for New Mexico Acequias

    Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded $2.55 million for New Mexico acequias, including design of the Chamisal y Ojito acequia and other acequia projects if funds remain. Acequias, or community irrigation ditch systems, have provided irrigation water to thousands of small family sustenance farms for centuries. Read More

  • NM Delegation Presses for Disaster Assistance for Farmers and Ranchers Recovering from December Storms

    Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Steve Pearce, Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham asked U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to quickly approve the State of New Mexico's request for disaster assistance following December’s catastrophic winter storm. The storm hurt farmers and ranchers across 18 New Mexico counties, and a secretarial disaster designation would allow them to access Farm Service Agency emergency loans. These loans can be used for many different purposes, including helping farmers and ranchers replace livestock, pay family living expenses or reorganize farm operations. Read More