New Mexico’s devastating drought could soon affect your wallet as cattle ranchers feel the pinch and begin selling off their herds to save their ranches. Hundreds of head of cattle waiting to be sold at auction Friday are proof that the drought is taking its toll on cattlemen. Charlie Myers, owner of Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction in Belen, said most of the cattle sold this month should not have been at his auction site. “We are seeing our volume double to what it should be for this time of the year,” Myers said. Myers said typically around this time of year they push through 500 head of cattle each auction. On Friday, around 1,400 made their way through the stalls and up for bid. Many sold are thinner and younger when you compare them to what cattle sold in the fall. “There's a calf that brings $300,” Myers said. “In all probability bring $700 this fall.” Myers said his customers have no choice but to sell some early and take a cut in profit to keep their business going. “It’s probably a herd he's built up over 20, 25 years,” Myers said. Myers said this is the worst he's seen in years when it comes to cattlemen being forced to cut their cattle early. The problem is statewide. The Belen auction has been selling stock from as far south as Deming to as far east as Santa Rosa...more
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