Greetings Relatives/Frens/Human, The Resources & Development started their meeting about 10:25 am. RDC Vice Chairperson Ben Bennett did the prayer. The RDC called a special meeting to hear from the Navajo Nation’s Enterprises, which are0 businesses owned by the Navajo government.
NOTE: EXCUSE TYPO AND GRAMMAR ERRORS.
The first enterprise on the RDC agenda is Navajo Times publishing company. RDC Chairman Alton Shepherd said Navajo Times Publisher Tom Arviso submitted a letter to the RDC that per Navajo Times bylaws, they were unavailable. Shepherd noted that per Title 2 laws, the tribal enterprises were created by the Navajo Council.
Shepherd then called on Navajo Agricultural Products Industry to make their report. NAPI reported that they have partnerships, such as NM Milling.
MICHAEL CASTRO, CHIEF OPERATING operating on 72,000 acres. Alfalpha good performing crop, close to sold out. very good business w Navajo pple. 12,792 acres and increase by 3,000 to 14,000. Working on steaming alfalpha, trial 1500 acres. Corn, pretty ambitious. Best performer. Placed number 1 in NM and 7th place nationally. 187 and 195 this year. Pinto Bean, acreage fluctuates and down to 4,000 acres cuz least potential for revenue but good performer most of the time. Also yellow beans, yield lower but price higher. Potatoes, down to 300 acres. Market price has not responded versus cost and idea of transitioning to organic came up. Wheat revenue, doing very good on hitting yields. had 97 bushels and projection was 90. and hope next year, increase to 90. and over 8,000 acres of wheat this year. ORGANICS all aware brand new pgm, virgin team, we have close to 2,000 certified as organic. this year down to 666 acres to fine tune issues. WATERMELON good quality but plant issues. TABLE stock and squash issues. but focus on for 2018. for 2018, double supervisoiin, concentrated on sales, outside pple to review. problem in potatoe fields but able to ID issues which unusual. loss of revenues was size of potatoes. STEWARDSHIP testing raw manure and cost more to bring in. continue to expand and develop Native foods, sumac and blue corn. relationship w blue corn potato company. Issues with roads on farm and instead of going to BIA that we keep and maintain roads. Each crop manager has devised plans to use resources to best of abilty and sutainability of farm.
Sales and Marketing, winding up year. all corn contracted and shipping out thru September. hay all bean sold so packaging and shipping, same with yellow beans. invesntory on warehouse floor and sent samples out. holding fair amount of wheat and working w flour mill to start up and suppose to have proposal in hand soon. shipping wheat straw to florida and kentucky and Colorado and dairies in NM. Organic table stock all but depleted. along w flour mill.
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE, NIIP Understand how water being used and alfalfa uses most water to cost more to lift water. Forecast for water to operate NIIP & NAPI pretty bad. Working on Master plan. Looking at drainage impacts on Upper Fruitland from farm. Majority of Upper Fruitland is on NIIP. Bring to your attn. in operating NIIP is operations and maintenance costs and underfunded and NAPI subsidizes since 2013. currently invested $4.3M and told BIA and continue to tell BIA. Working w NIIP Negotiating Committee and President’s Office to get reimbursement from BIA and may ask RDC to help. But got $4.5M this year in Omnibus Bill. Push for construction of Block 9 to push for acreage and want to cintinously grow NAPI.
FEBRUARY 28, CLOSING MARCH FINANCIALS end of loss of $2.5M. our revenues down due to infancy of organic pgm but developed strategies to finish off year in positive not. 500,00 bushels of corn. 200,000 busels of wheat held for flour mill. Had farm wide costs saving and finish with decrease in overhead and support services.
