Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) — Stephanie Walker, with New Mexico State University’s Extension Plant Sciences Department says, that despite drought, disease and labor challenges, this year’s chile crop is looking good. New Mexico growers produced nearly 55,000 tons of chile in 2025, with much of the state’s commercial chile operations in Luna and Doña Ana counties. That’s a 5% increase over 2024, however not as high as chile yields about a decade ago. Much of the state’s red chile crop is harvested by machine, green chile largely needs to be harvested by hand to keep the fruit intact and unblemished. Walker says green chile growers stagger their harvests throughout the late summer and fall to stretch out production and ease some of the challenges of trying to find workers.
