NMDA leads inbound trade mission with Sonora, Mexico

For Immediate Release: Contact: Shelby Herrera 575-646-3007 office (LAS CRUCES, N.M.) – A recent trade mission has revived New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s (NMDA) efforts to help ranchers in the Land of Enchantment develop markets in foreign lands. Deputy Director Anthony Parra and Juan Sanchez of NMDA’s Marketing and Development Division, hosted 10 cattlemen from Sonora, Mexico. These cattlemen were introduced to local seed stock producers in the eastern part of the state. The Sonoran Cattlemen were able to see firsthand the quality of New Mexico’s livestock genetics and how those genetics will work on their ranches. The inbound mission included ranch tours and a visit to a bull sale at the Roswell Livestock Auction. “The buyers not only had the opportunity to view live animals, but also got to experience how cattle ranches and livestock auctions operate in New Mexico,” Sanchez said. Parra also added that during the mission 10 bulls were exported to Sonora, and contracts signed for over 70 heifers to be exported to Mexican producers. The trade mission was an action item set forth by the New Mexico-Sonora Commission in the 2016 plenary meeting. The commission’s purpose is to provide a forum for discussions and resolutions for issues of mutual concern to the governments of New Mexico and Sonora. “The program is extremely beneficial to producers on both the sides of the US / Mexico border,” Parra said. “It provides ranchers from Mexico, access to high quality genetics to sustain the quality of the programs and ensure diversity. The producers on the US side gain access to new markets and new partnerships to achieve future growth,” he added. Due to a shortage of genetics in Sonora, the inbound mission was created to provide opportunity for the Sonoran producers to improve their operations by investing in New Mexico genetics. On May 1-3, 2017, NMDA will be participating in an outbound mission hosted by the Sonora State Department of Agriculture (SAGARPHA) and the Union Ganadera Regional de Sonora (UGRS) in Hermosillo, Sonora. Seed stock producers are invited to participate in the mission which will include visits to the international import/export facilities, ranch tours, and attendance to the famous ExpoGan (state’s livestock expo). “The outbound mission will afford producers the opportunity to grow relationships while granting the US producers the opportunity to visit Mexican operations and understand how they operate,” Parra said. NMDA will also be attending the Confederación Nacional de Organizaciones Ganaderas (CNOG) Trade show in Durango, Mexico on May 14-17, 2017. Sanchez invites producers from across New Mexico to send him their brochures and catalogs so they can be shared at the U.S. Livestock Genetics Export booth. For more information about these opportunities, contact Juan Sanchez at 575-646-4929 or at jsanchez@nmda.nmsu.edu