New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture
| New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Nonpartisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $28,656,500 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | Serve at the pleasure of the New Mexico State University Board of Regents |
| Authority: | New Mexico Constitution, Article XV, Section I |
| Selection Method: | Appointed by the New Mexico State University Board of Regents |
| Current Officeholder | |
| Jeff Witte | |
| Other New Mexico Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Public Lands • Secretary of Education • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Superintendent • Secretary of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources • Secretary of Workforce Solutions • Public Regulation Commission • Public Education Commission | |
The New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture, also referred to as Director, is an appointed state executive position in the New Mexico state government.
The secretary serves as head of the Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for promoting food protection and economic development, supporting the use and conservation of natural resources, and cooperating with public and private sectors.[1] Additionally, the secretary is the agricultural industry's official representative to the state and federal government.[2]
The secretary serves on the governor's cabinet and also reports to the New Mexico State University board and university president.[2]
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Jeff Witte. He was appointed by the New Mexico State University Board of Regents in May 2011.[3]
Authority
The Department of Agriculture's authority is derived from Article XV, Section 1 of the New Mexico Constitution.
Article XV, Section 1:
| There shall be a department of agriculture which shall be under the control of the board of regents of the college of agriculture and mechanic arts; and the legislature shall provide lands and funds necessary for experimental farming and demonstrating by said department.[4] |
Additional authority establishing the role and powers of the secretary of agriculture is derived from Chapter 76, Article 1 of the New Mexico Statutes:
| In order to execute its functions, the board of regents of New Mexico state university shall appoint and fix the salary of a full-time director of the New Mexico department of agriculture. The director shall administer, execute and implement the directives and policy decisions of the said board of regents and its agents and shall serve as a representative of agriculture on the executive cabinet, as provided in the Executive Reorganization Act ... The director shall serve at the pleasure of the said board of regents.[5] |
Qualifications
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches the constitutional or statutory text that establishes the requirements necessary to qualify for a state executive office. That information for the New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture has not yet been added. After extensive research, we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Vacancies
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches the constitutional or statutory text that details the process of filling vacancies for a state executive office. That information for the New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture has not yet been added. After extensive research, we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Duties
The secretary of agriculture is responsible for administering and implementing directives and policy decisions regarding agricultural practices made by the New Mexico State University Board of Regents.[5] This includes, but is not limited to, promoting food protection and economic development, supporting the use and conservation of natural resources, and cooperating with public and private sectors.[1] The secretary is also responsible for maintaining the state's systems of weights and measurements. This includes keeping records of all standards, annually inspecting and testing for accuracy commercial apparatuses that use weights and measures, and reporting to the governor on aspects related to weights and measurements.[6]
Divisions
The Department of Agriculture consists of the following eight divisions:[7]
- Agricultural and Environmental Services
- Agricultural Production Services
- Agricultural Programs and Resources
- Director/Secretary Office
- Laboratory
- Marketing and Development
- Standards and Consumer Services
- Veterinary Diagnostic Services
State budget
- See also: New Mexico state budget and finances
The budget for the Department of Agriculture in Fiscal Year 2025 was $28,656,500.[8]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was unavailable, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $84,225, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2021
In 2021, the secretary received a salary of $82,980, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2020
In 2020, the secretary received a salary of $82,980, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2019
In 2019, the secretary received a salary of $79,788, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2018
There was no salary information available for the secretary in 2018, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2017
In 2017, the secretary received a salary of $125,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2016
In 2016, the secretary received a salary of $125,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2015
In 2015, the secretary received a salary of $125,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2014
In 2014, the secretary received a salary of $125,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[18]
2013
In 2013, the secretary received a salary of $125,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[19]
2012
In 2012, the secretary received a salary of $125,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[20]
2011
There was no salary information available for the secretary in 2011, according to the Council of State Governments.[21]
2010
In 2010, the secretary received a salary of $160,064, according to the Council of State Governments.[22]
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Recent news
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Contact information
Physical Address:
3190 S. Espina
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8005
Mailing Address:
MSC 3189, Box 30005
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8005
Phone: 575-646-3007
Fax: 575-646-8120
Email: nmagsec@nmda.nmsu.edu
See also
| New Mexico | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 New Mexico Department of Agriculture, "Home," accessed Jan. 26, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 New Mexico Department of Agriculture, "NMDA Director/Secretary's Office," accessed Jan. 26, 2021
- ↑ New Mexico Department of Agriculture, "Jeff M. Witte," accessed Jan. 26, 2021
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "NM Constitution," accessed Jan. 26, 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Justia, "NM Stat § 76-1-3 (2019)," accessed Jan. 26, 2021
- ↑ Justia, "NM Stat § 57-17-7 (2019)," accessed Jan. 26, 2021
- ↑ New Mexico Department of Agriculture, " Divisions," accessed Jan. 26, 2021
- ↑ New Mexico State Legislature, "New Mexico General Appropriation Act of 2024," accessed January 22, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States," Sept. 30, 2020
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed Jan. 26, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed Jan. 26, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed Jan. 26, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed Aug. 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed Aug. 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed Dec. 3, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed Jan. 31, 2014
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed Jan. 26, 2021
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed Jan. 26, 2021
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11," accessed June 22, 2011
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