LOS LUNAS, N.M. (AP) – The sweet aroma of roasted peppers is wafting throughout New Mexico, signaling that fall is around the corner and the green chile harvest is in full swing.
The annual ritual has everyone from Gov. Susana Martinez to farmers, chefs and hot pepper aficionados professing their love for all things green chile. They’re quick to argue that the quality of New Mexico’s signature crop is unmatched.
The seasonal attention highlights a growing demand for the New Mexico-grown hot peppers, even as the number of acres planted and harvested each year has been shrinking.
Labor costs, international competition and concerns over long-term water supplies – in a region that’s no stranger to drought – have worked against chile producers in the state.
“It’s really difficult for our farmers to compete cost-wise” and that reality poses a threat to the state’s commercial chile industry, said Jaye Hawkins, executive director of the New Mexico Chile Association.