New Mexico Chile Production

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
PO BOX 1809,
LAS CRUCES, NM 88004
1-800-530-8810
e-mail: [email protected]
www.nass.usda.gov/nm

MSC 5600, PO BOX 30005,
LAS CRUCES, NM 88003-8005
(575) 646-4929
e-mail: [email protected]
www.nmda.nmsu.edu

2018 NEW MEXICO CHILE PRODUCTION
Planted chile acreage in 2018 increased 4 percent from last year to 8,400 acres, with
7,900 acres, or 94 percent, of the crop harvested. Production in 2018 was 71,100 tons
compared to 62,700 tons the previous year. Eighty-one percent of the crop was sold for
processing, with 19 percent of the crop sold as fresh market.
Long Hot Green harvested acres decreased from 2,100 acres in 2017 to 1,700 acres in
2018 and Long Mild Green harvested acres increased from 1,900 acres in 2017 to 3,400
acres in 2018.
At the state level, yields were lower for Long Hot Green varieties, decreasing from 14.0
tons per acre last year to 11.2 tons per acre in 2018. Long Mild Green yields at 13.7 tons
per acre, were unchanged from 2017.
The value of New Mexico chile production in 2018 was estimated at $53.8 million,
compared to $44.6 million in 2017. Chile for processing were valued at $43.8 million,
while the fresh chile value of production was $10.0 million.

Chile - Acreage and Production by County: 2016-2018
Planted Acreage

Harvested Acreage

Production (Tons)

2016

2017

2018

2016

2017

2018

2016

2017

2018

Luna

3,000

(D)

2,800

2,900

(D)

2,700

32,400

(D)

25,900

Doña Ana

2,300

1,800

2,300

2,200

1,600

2,100

21,700

14,900

27,100

(D)

(D)

900

(D)

(D)

800

(D)

(D)

8,340

3,900

6,300

2,400

3,600

6,000

2,300

15,500

47,800

9,760

9,200

8,100

8,400

8,700

7,600

7,900

69,600

62,700

71,100

Sierra
Other Counties
STATE

(D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.

Chile Acreage, Yield, Production & Value by Variety: 2017-2018
Variety

Acreage
Harvested
20172/

Yield Per
Acre1/

20183/

Green
Long Mild
Long Hot4/

1,900
2,100

3,400
1,700

All Red Chile5/
Total

4,400
7,600

3,400
7,900

Production

2017
2018
2017
2018
---------------Tons--------------13.7
13.7 26,100 46,600
14.0
11.2 29,400 19,100
1.6
8.3

1.6
9.0

7,200
62,700

5,400
71,100

Average Price
Per Ton

Value of
Production

2017
2018
----Dollars---534
661
656
717

2017
2018
-----$1,000----13,926 30,800
19,274 13,700

1,577
711

11,353 9,266
44,553 53,766

1,716
756

1/

Yields influenced by lower yielding acreage harvested for both green and red.
800 acres were harvested for both green and red, but only counted once in the total.
3/ 600 acres were harvested for both green and red, but only counted once in the total.
4/
Includes Jalapeno and Cayenne.
5/ Includes Paprika, Red Long Hot, and Red Long Mild.
2/

Chiles, Fresh and Processed Production & Value: 2017-20181/
Acreage
Harvested

Fresh
Processed
Production
Production
----------Tons----------

Value of Fresh
Value of Processed
Production
Production
----------$1,000----------

20172/

7,600

13,165

49,533

7,899

36,654

20183/

7,900

13,510

57,591

9,997

43,769

1/

Totals may not add due to rounding.
800 acres were harvested for both green and red, but only counted once in the total.
3/ 600 acres were harvested for both green and red, but only counted once in the total.
2/

New Mexico Chile Production
130
119.3

120
110

Tons (Thousands)

100

98.1
87.9

90

77.8

80

68.9

70

65.0

66.7

69.6

2015

2016

62.7

58.7

60

71.1

50
40
30
20
10
0
2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2017

2018