Around the village of Hatch, the self-appointed "Chilli Capital of the World," laborers are hand-harvesting green chilli, most of which is bound for commercial processing companies. But a portion is destined for grocery store shelves throughout New Mexico and, indeed, other parts of the country.
Through August 12, about 43 percent of New Mexico's green chilli crop had been harvested. That's up from 27 percent the previous week. It's also ahead of a five-year average for the crop's progress at this point in the season; on average, 17 percent has been harvested by now, according to the agency.
In all, 71 percent of the crop was deemed in "good" or "excellent" condition through August 12, according to a NASS report. Another 22 percent was considered "fair," while the remainder was classified as "poor”.
According eu.lcsun-news.com, last year, about 7,600 acres of chillis were harvested in New Mexico, a 12 percent drop compared to the year before. The crop was valued at $44.6 million.
