Carcass Management
New Mexico’s agricultural production is heavily weighted toward livestock. Almost 80% of the State’s $3 billion agricultural cash receipts are associated with livestock and livestock products. Nearly half of the livestock revenues come from the State’s dairy industry, which is ranked ninth in the country in terms of milk production with more than eight billion pounds of milk produced annually. New Mexico is home to over 700,000 beef and dairy cattle, making bovines 50% of the state’s total livestock population. New Mexico is no stranger to mass mortality events. In 2016, Winter Storm “Goliath” shocked the state’s dairies and resulted in over 12,000 animal mortalities, 96% of which were dairy animals.
Thanks to the development of a statewide emergency mass mortality carcass management plan, access to response-focused tools has increased. The unique location of New Mexico makes the state highly susceptible to a disease outbreak, or a natural disaster like the state has faced before. The state is home to two international ports of entry on the border of Mexico and over 300,000 head of cattle cross the border annually. In the event of a large-scale livestock emergency, the economic costs are going to be considered by both the producer and the emergency responders. While a general Carcass Management Calculator has already been developed, the calculator linked below is based in the state of New Mexico. This local calculator gives producers and emergency responders a quick and accurate cost approximation. In addition to the calculator and statewide plan, producers and emergency responders can access the Site-Specific Carcass Management Plan below. By aiding in the facilitation of financial planning, the calculator, carcass management plan, and site-specific plan may be time-saving devices in an emergency mass mortality event.
New Mexico Carcass Management Plan