[CH] NM Green Chile crop update
Michael Bowers (bowers@elsie.ucdavis.edu)
Tue, 06 Jul 1999 15:29:28 PDT
I had someone send me a clip from USA Today (probably a Reuters news release)
about the problems with the chile crop in New Mexico. Apparently there is a
large problem with curly top virus in the Mesilla Valley where most of the crop
is grown. I also got a phone call from someone who had heard much of the same.
So, a little research found:
Weather Devastates Chile Farmers - (LA MESA) -- As much as half of this year's
chile crop may be lost, and farmers in the Mesilla Valley are blaming the
weather... specifically the cool spring. The ``Albuquerque Journal'' reports
that chile plants that should be up to a foot-and-a-half by now are only a few
inches tall. Economist William Gomez of the Cooperative Extension Service at
New Mexico State University is quoted as saying that the chile crop, which
brought in 58-Million-dollars last year, may only be half that this year.
Farmers are facing Millions in losses. Gomez says the poor crop will also mean
higher chile prices and less work for farm laborers during the harvest, which
usually runs from September through December.
and...
State officials plan to seek federal disaster aid because of widespread damage
in the Mesilla Valley, Deming area and Pecos Valley, said Bill Gomez with New
Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service . To be eligible for
disaster programs, farmers must fill out a federal Form 547 at the closest Farm
Services Agency office before disking under chile and replanting, he said.
A combination of strong winds and unusually cold temperatures have damaged the
crop and created insect problems in developing chile this spring.
"In many fields, stands are thin and it's not economically feasible to harvest
the crop," Gomez said. "The sand just blasted off the chile plants, cutting
them off at the ground level."
Because of the cool spring, farmers are still seeing damage from thrips,
insects that normally cause damage early in the season when chile plants are
small, said Phil Hibner, Luna County Extension agent.
"Usually by now we've had a couple of 100-degree days, but this year we've only
hit 90 a few times," he said.
At a time when chile should be 4 to 12 inches tall and thriving, plants are
stunted and dying, said Bud Deerman, a Mesilla Valley grower. "We have a lot of
problems here I've never seen, and I've grown chile for 10 to 15 years," he
said. "I'm puzzled."
Deerman, who toured fields Wednesday, said he was thinking of plowing under
half of his 140 acres of chile. "This is the time to plant a short season crop,
if you can," he said. "The only one I can think of this late in the season is
silage corn. At best, it's a break-even crop."
Mike
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Michael Bowers mkbowers@ucdavis.edu
University of California, Davis Owner: Chile-Heads mailing list
Chile Heads Home Page: http://neptune.netimages.com/~chile/