They are really spicing things up in New Mexico.
The Land of Enchantment produced more than 53,000 tons of chile peppers worth more than $46.2 million during its last growing season of 2022.
The staggering statistic, released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, reflects a 4.5 percent increase over 2021, and is a sign the state’s chile production is rebounding after labor and market challenges in recent years.
New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham also signed legislation this week that made the sweet smell of roasting green chile the state’s official aroma, the first state to legally establish its own smell.
The crop is mainly used in salsas, sauces and spices. Fresh chile accounts for about 10 percent of sales.
The crop’s value was estimated at more than $46 million. APThe 2022 earnings are close to $1 million more than what the chile pepper crop generated in 2021, despite planting less acreage, as farmers saw higher yields thanks to irrigation and cultivation improvements, ABC News reported.
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