New Mexico Meat Inspection Act: Impact on Ranchers
New Mexico Ranchers See Hope in New Meat Inspection Program
Santa fe, NM – New Mexico’s cattle industry, a nearly $2 billion economic engine, has long faced a frustrating hurdle: a lack of in-state meat processing facilities. This forced ranchers to send their livestock out of state for processing,only to see it shipped back,often as a product no longer recognizable as New Mexican. But a new state law aims to change that.
The New Mexico meat Inspection Act, which took effect in July, establishes a state-run meat inspection program that meets federal standards. This program, overseen by the New Mexico Livestock Board (NMLB), is designed to address the shortage of federal meat inspectors in the state, which has led to long wait times for ranchers and driven some to seek processing services elsewhere.
“The cattle industry in New Mexico is close to a $2 billion industry and all of our beef goes out of state,” said Bronson Corn with the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association. “It has to turn around and come back and moast of the time it’s not even our beef that’s coming back into new Mexico.”
The act was years in the making, gaining momentum after food shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 highlighted the fragility of the supply chain.
“There’s a lot of remote areas with processors that it’s hard for the federal government to get an inspector there,” said Eddie Behrends, Meat and Poultry Inspection Director with the NMLB.
While the program is still in its early stages, Behrends expressed optimism about its potential to boost local sales.
“How do we keep that product at home? I think that was another big draw of the bill is to not only help processors sell their product but also give producers the avenue to sell it to their neighbors,” Behrends said.
Producers also point to a new, soon-to-open meat processing facility in Taos as a positive sign. This facility, coupled with the new state inspection program, could significantly increase the availability of locally processed meat in New Mexico.
With the new program,New Mexico joins 29 other states with their own meat and poultry inspection programs,offering ranchers and consumers alike a promising path toward a more robust and localized food system.
New Mexico ranchers See Hope in New Meat Inspection Program
Santa fe, NM – New Mexico’s cattle industry, a nearly $2 billion economic engine, has long faced a frustrating hurdle: a lack of in-state meat processing facilities. This forced ranchers to send their livestock out of state for processing, only to see it shipped back, often as a product no longer recognizable as New Mexican.
But a new state law aims to change that. The New Mexico meat Inspection Act, which took affect in July, establishes a state-run meat inspection program that meets federal standards. This program, overseen by the new Mexico Livestock Board (NMLB), is designed to address the shortage of federal meat inspectors in the state, which has led to long wait times for ranchers and driven some to seek processing services elsewhere.
“The cattle industry in New Mexico is close to a $2 billion industry and all of our beef goes out of state,” said Bronson Corn with the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association. “It has to turn around and come back and most of the time it’s not even our beef that’s coming back into New Mexico.”
The act was years in the making, gaining momentum after food shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 highlighted the fragility of the supply chain.
“There’s a lot of remote areas with processors that it’s hard for the federal government to get an inspector there,” said Eddie Behrends, meat and Poultry Inspection Director with the NMLB.
While the program is still in its early stages, Behrends expressed optimism about its potential to boost local sales.
“How do we keep that product at home? I think that was another big draw of the bill is to not only help processors sell their product but also give producers the avenue to sell it to their neighbors,” Behrends said.
Producers also point to a new, soon-to-open meat processing facility in Taos as a positive sign. This facility, coupled with the new state inspection program, could considerably increase the availability of locally processed meat in New Mexico.
With the new program, New Mexico joins 29 other states with their own meat and poultry inspection programs, offering ranchers and consumers alike a promising path toward a more robust and localized food system.