New Mexico Chile Production

MSC 5600, PO BOX 30005,
LAS CRUCES, NM 88003-8005
(575) 646-4929
e-mail: jnew@nmda.nmsu.edu
www.NMDeptAg.nmsu.edu

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
P.O. Box 150969
Lakewood, CO 80215-0969
(800) 392-3202
e-mail: nassrfomtr@usda.gov
www.nass.usda.gov/nm

2024 New Mexico Chile Production
Total chile production in New Mexico for 2024 totaled 52,000 tons, an 11 percent increase from the 2023 production of
46,750 tons, according to the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA in
cooperation with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. Of the 52,000 tons produced, 43,400 tons were green chile and
8,600 tons were red chile. In 2024, the green chile yield was 11.5 tons per acre, and the red chile yield was 2.0 tons per acre.
For comparison, the green chile yield was 9.0 tons per acre, and the red chile yield was 1.4 tons per acre a year ago.
Producers planted 8,000 acres of chile for harvest in 2024, down 800 acres, or 9 percent, from last year. All 8,000 acres were
harvested in 2024, compared with 8,500 acres harvested in 2023. Of the 8,000 acres harvested, 3,790 acres were harvested for
green chile, and 4,210 acres were harvested for red chile. A year ago, producers harvested 4,580 acres for green chile and
3,920 acres for red chile.
A breakdown of the 2024 chile production is as follows: 79.9 percent was sold for processing; 20.0 percent was sold for fresh
market; and less than 0.1 percent was not sold. The value of utilized chile production in 2024 was estimated at $52.2 million,
compared with $41.5 million in 2023. In 2024, chile sold for processing was valued at $36.6 million, while chile sold for fresh
market was valued at $15.6 million.

Chile Acreage & Production by County: 2022-2024
Location

Planted area

Harvested area

Production

2022

2023

2024

2022

2023

2024

(acres)

(acres)

(acres)

(acres)

(acres)

(acres)

2022

2023

2024

(tons)

(tons)

(tons)

Luna ......................

1,890

2,280

2,490

1,880

2,140

2,490

21,110

27,500

26,005

Doña Ana ..............

(D)

2,050

(D)

(D)

1,960

(D)

(D)

13,500

(D)

Other counties .......

6,910

4,470

5,510

6,620

4,400

5,510

34,140

5,750

25,995

State .....................

8,800

8,800

8,000

8,500

8,500

8,000

55,250

46,750

52,000

(D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. Included in Other Counties.

Chile Acreage, Yield, Production & Value by Variety: 2023-2024
Variety

1

Average price
per ton

Value of
production

Harvested area

Yield per acre 1

Total production

2023

2024

2023

2024

2023 4

2024 5

2023

2024

2023

2024

(acres)

(acres)

(tons)

(tons)

(tons)

(tons)

(dollars)

(dollars)

($1,000)

($1,000)

All green chile 2 ....

4,580

3,790

9.0

11.5

41,120

43,400

711

970

29,100

42,100

All red chile 3 ........

3,920

4,210

1.4

2.0

5,630

8,600

2,195

1,177

12,360

10,062

Total ....................

8,500

8,000

5.5

6.5

46,750

52,000

890

1,004

41,460

52,162

Yields influenced by lower yielding acreage harvested for both green and red.
Includes Anaheim, Green Long Hot, Green Long Mild, Jalapeno.
3
Includes Cayenne, Paprika, Red Long Hot, and Red Long Mild.
4
Total production includes 185 tons of chile production that was harvested but not sold and not included in the value of production.
5
Total production includes 50 tons of chile production that was harvested but not sold and not included in the value of production.
2

Chile, Fresh and Processed Production & Value: 2023-2024 1

2

Harvested area

Fresh production

Processed
production

Value of fresh
production

Value of processed
production

(acres)

(tons)

(tons)

($1,000)

($1,000)

2023 2.........
2024 2.........

8,500
8,000

(D)
10,400

(D)
41,548

(D)
15,600

(D)
36,562

Totals may not add due to rounding.
Fresh and processed production is utilized production, which is used to calculate the fresh and processed values of production.

New Mexico Chile Pepper Production
80

70

60

Thousand Tons

1

Year

50

40

30

20

10

0
2016

2017

2018

2019
Green Chile

2020
Red Chile

2021

2022

2023

2024