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, Torres Small Announce $7.89 Million to Upgrade and Improve Rural Water Infrastructure in Socorro

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, along with U.S. Representative Xochitl Torres Small, announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development has awarded $7,892,462 in funding to help upgrade and improve rural water infrastructure in the City of Socorro. The award, which was funded through the USDA's Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program, includes $4,950,000 in low-cost loans and $2,942,462 in grants for projects that will increase access to clean water, benefitting businesses, communities, and residents across Socorro. Read More

  • As NM Prepares for Wildfire Season, Udall, Heinrich, & Colleagues Urge Trump Administration to Reverse Proposed Cuts to Wildfire Prevention, Firefighting Budget

    March 28, 2019) - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, and U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee joined seven Western Senate colleagues in urging the Trump administration to reverse proposed funding cuts to critical wildfire prevention and forest restoration projects throughout the country.   Read More

  • N.M. lawmakers target PFAS contamination

    Democratic Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich along with Rep. Ben Ray Luján introduced companion legislation to authorize the Defense Department to use funds to provide clean water for agricultural purposes to areas affected by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Call On EPA To Set Federal Drinking Water Standards For PFOA And PFOS

    Feb. 5, 2019) - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) are urging Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler to develop federal drinking water standards for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as part of the agency's national management plan for this class of chemicals. In a bipartisan letter to Wheeler, the Senators also request that the EPA provide briefings on the agency’s efforts on this issue, as well as regular updates on the progress of those efforts. The Senators’ letter comes in response to a report that the agency does not plan to establish enforceable drinking water standards for the chemicals, which have been linked to a variety of adverse health implications.   Read More

  • Heinrich To Address Joint Session Of NM Legislature

    SANTA FE, N.M. - On Friday, January 25, at 12 p.m. MT, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will address a joint session of the New Mexico Legislature to share his vision for the state and urge lawmakers to make bold investments in early childhood education, clean energy, and New Mexico families. Read More

  • Luján, Udall, Heinrich, and Lujan Grisham Fight For New Mexico’s Farmers And Ranchers Impacted By Natural Disasters

    Today, Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) sent a letter to the New Mexico State Farm Service Agency's office about the proposed 2018 County Expected Yield/T-Yield for Rio Arriba County. The lawmakers expressed concern that the process to determine the T-Yield value is inconsistent with previous years and would have a negative impact on farmers and ranchers. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Secure Provisions Making Acequias and Land Grants Eligible for Grants and Technical Assistance

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that they secured a provision in the 2018 Farm Bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 87-13, to make acequias and land grant-mercedes eligible for grants and technical assistance from conservation and environmental programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to increase agricultural water efficiency and further conservation of soil, water, and other natural resources. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Secure Major Wins for NM Farmers, Ranchers, Dairies, and Tribes in Farm Bill

    WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined their colleagues in the Senate to pass the final 2018 Farm Bill – major legislation that will send needed assistance to New Mexico farmers and ranchers, and support every county in the state by protecting the farm safety net and basic social services, while also making strategic investments in broadband access, clean drinking water, rural development, telemedicine, and more. The Farm Bill, which serves as the federal government's primary tool to provide agricultural funding and set food policy for the next five years, passed the Senate by a vote of 87-13. The bill must now be passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and be signed into law by the president.  Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Announce USDA Grants to Support Acequia Associations & Traditional Communities, Hispanic Farmers and Ranchers, and Tribal Communities

    WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced three grants totaling nearly $525,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to benefit New Mexico's traditional communities and acequia associations, Hispanic farmers and ranchers, and tribal agricultural communities in the state. The grants were made through the USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program, which Udall and Heinrich have long supported to help socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, and foresters in New Mexico and across the country who have historically experienced limited access to USDA loans, grants, training, and technical assistance. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Secure Vital Drought Provisions for NM in Water Infrastructure Bill

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined the full Senate in voting 99-1 to pass the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), a bill that authorizes Army Corps of Engineers water projects nationwide and includes core provisions of Udall and Heinrich's New Mexico Drought Preparedness Act, among other New Mexico benefits.  Last month, the House voted to unanimously approve the water infrastructure bill. The bill now goes to the president’s desk to be signed into law.  Read More