Labor problems persist. Disease and insects continue to be problems. Not only will farmers go to other crops, but the chile processors will move south of the border closer to the crops. To meet this challenge, NMSU formed the New Mexico Chile Pepper Task Force with sponsors including the New Mexico Chile Commodity Commission, New Mexico and regional chile processors and growers, New Mexico Department of Agriculture, several USDA organizations, and several NMSU departments. Well, nobody said it was going to be easy.
Some farmers are very successful, some less so.
The ultimate product will be a handbook to be used for workshops in the chile growing areas of the state. Crop marketing also will be studied. The demand for water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural use is increasing yearly. The water resources are decreasing and there is great competition for these resources, particularly among the growing cities along the Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers. One of the most efficient ways to use water for agriculture is drip irrigation systems.