HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 29

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2011

INTRODUCED BY

Andy Nuñez

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO DEVELOP A PESTICIDE-FREE CERTIFICATION FOR PECANS PRODUCED IN NEW MEXICO.

     WHEREAS, pecans are the fourth most important crop in New Mexico, with more than forty thousand acres under cultivation accounting for nearly eight percent of total farm cash receipts or one hundred thirty-three million dollars ($133,000,000) in 2009; and

     WHEREAS, pecan production in New Mexico accounts for one-third of the pecan production in the nation; and

     WHEREAS, approximately four hundred farmers in the state produce pecans on farms ranging in size from small farms of two to fifty acres, medium farms of fifty-one to two hundred acres and large farms of two hundred one acres to more than two thousand acres; and

     WHEREAS, the cost of production varies depending on the size of the farm, with smaller-scale producers incurring higher per-unit costs for production and receiving lower prices per pound due to the smaller volumes of production sold to brokers and buyers; and

     WHEREAS, many small-scale producers use minimal amounts of pesticides and observe more labor-intensive management practices and biocontrols to limit crop damage, yet they receive no recognition for these efforts; and

     WHEREAS, in many other states, various certification levels have been adopted for horticultural crops, including fruit, nut and vegetable produce, with certifications ranging from certified pesticide-free up to certified organic; and

     WHEREAS, certification facilitates the sales of such produce at a price premium over the same crops without certification;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico department of agriculture be requested to develop a pesticide-free certification for pecans produced in New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico department of agriculture report its progress to develop this certification to the appropriate interim legislative committee by December 1, 2011; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the director of the New Mexico department of agriculture.

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