NMSU Hires New Dairy Specialist

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New Mexico is one of the fastest-growing dairy states in the Nation. New Mexico State University's new dairy specialist wants to help dairy farmers with the nutrient management for their herds. Anna María Pérez-Wright reports.

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New Mexico's booming dairy industry just received a boost with the addition of a new dairy specialist at New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service. Hilary Sullivan's training is in dairy nutrition and microbiology, and she plans to help dairy farmers with feed and waste management.

"New Mexico is an up-and-coming dairy state. There have been rapid increases in cow numbers and therefore nutrient management is going to become more and more important, especially with new EPA regulations in terms of confined dairy operations."

During the past two decades, the number of dairy cows in New Mexico has soared from 49,000 in 1981 to about 309,000 today. Last year alone, the number of milk cows in the state jumped more than 21,000. For N-M-S-U's College of Agriculture and Home Economics, I'm Anna María Pérez-Wright.