Recent rain helps NM cattle ranchers

The state has seen the damage and destruction left by recent flooding. Now, a rancher shows how parts of New Mexico are seeing greener pastures that are ultimately helping businesses. Just a few months ago, News 13 reported how the devastating drought was hurting local ranchers and farmers, but things are looking up. It's a sight New Mexico ranchers haven't seen in a while: Cattle grazing in green pastures. The landscape is drastically different than just a few months ago. "You don't ever want to cuss the rain, I mean, you know everybody prayed for rain and we got it, so you don't want to be knocking down the rain cause we can dang sure use it," said Martin Abeita, Comanche Ranch Manager. Abeita says although recent downpours washed out roads at his ranch in Socorro and Valencia counties, his cattle lived through it and they're now reaping the benefits. "The whole ranch has done tremendously well under this rainfall that we've had," said Abeita. "Things are really looking up for us as far as our feed here. We've had to supplement all the way up until July." Back in May, hundreds of cattle, much more than usual, were being sold off at auction in Belen. Many of them were very thin and young...more

The KASA video report is here.