Alfalfa is the area's No. 1 cash crop. It's crucial to the dairy industry because of its high nutritive value and Eddy's product is particularly palatable. More than 30,000 acres of alfalfa were harvested in 1998. The prices have been good, thanks to the drought. Alfalfa surpassed cotton in the 1980s as the county's most important crop, although Eddy County cotton is known worldwide for its quality.
Agriculture accounts for an estimated five per cent of the county's labor force.
Carlsbad will add telecommunications to its economic mix next summer, when a customer service call center opens. The CDOD, Westinghouse, city and county officials and private businesses all worked together to make it happen. The call center will handle customer service for Valor's 520,000 customers in New Mexico and West Texas. The CDOD's Pecos River Renaissance Program continues development along the Pecos River, one of Carlsbad's major assets. The walkway along the canal will be lined with shops, restaurants and hotels.