ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – It could take months to tally the true costs of a winter storm that killed an untold number of livestock and derailed New Mexico's dairy industry, the state's top agriculture official warned lawmakers Monday.
Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte said he didn't want to venture a guess at the number of dairy cows and range cattle that were killed when a fierce winter storm dumped two feet of snow on New Mexico at the end of December.
Dairy operations and ranchers along the eastern side of the state were ready for the snow but not the gusts that came along with it. The strong winds formed drifts that overtook corrals, buried livestock and stalled milk production.
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