|
|
Trial of green chili harvester set for fallALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (AP)--Green chili farmers have had it rough over the last several years, dealing with crop diseases, a lack of labor and pressure from foreign imports. Though demand for chili is increasing, so is the number of chili farmers throwing in the towel or switching to other crops. Hope is on the horizon, though, as researchers work to develop a machine to harvest the signature crop of the southwestern state of New Mexico. "This industry will die if harvesting is not automated," said Gene Baca, vice president of Albuquerque-based Bueno Foods, one of the largest chili processors in the U.S. This month, researchers and engineers will conduct the first trials on implements that harvest and remove the stems of green chili. "It is the first time we've put all the pieces together," said Stephanie Walker, an agricultural researcher at New Mexico State University. "This is a huge step toward mechanizing the green chili harvest in the state." Researchers will use data from the trials to improve the machinery and chili varieties before the system is used on wide-scale basis. Baca estimated it could be two years for mechanization to get into the hands of farmers. Machines already harvest more than 80 percent of the red chili crop in New Mexico and are widely used by growers in West Texas and southeast Arizona. But green chili is traditionally harvested by hand, requiring a large amount of labor. Last year, New Mexico's harvested 11,000 acres (4,450 hectares) of green chili--the lowest since 1978--and chili production declined for the third year in a row to 49,000 tons. Baca said he believes acreage might be down again this year because many farmers have reduced their acreage or stopped growing the crop. "This trend will not reverse until automation is developed for the chili industry," said Baca, president of the New Mexico Chile Association. "At this point, processors cannot find enough chili in New Mexico to fulfill their needs and are having to go out of the state and out of the country to find growers who will grow chili for a portion of their needs." Green chili farmers in Arizona, Texas, California and Colorado are facing the same challenges as New Mexico's growers, Baca said. Chili farmers raised their prices this year--15 percent for green and 25 percent for red--to counter rising production, energy and labor costs and stay afloat, he said. "Chili consumption is skyrocketing ... yet we are largely missing out because of foreign imports. Automation will level the playing field again," Baca said. The mechanical harvester prototype--a converted John Deere cotton harvester--is the work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory. Four experimental heads will be attached to the picker along with side equipment for pepper capturing, conveying and storage, said Paul Funk, research agricultural engineer at the lab. The machine must be aggressive enough to clean the plant stems of peppers but gentle enough to not damage the plant and pods, Funk said. "Damage to the chili pod can cause it to rot while in transport to the processing plant, so any damage done during harvesting is undesirable," Funk said. Researchers also want a machine that's easy on the plants so farmers can have multiple harvests in one season. The stem remover prototype works with a set of compression rolls that squeeze the chili pod and pop off the stem, said Ryan Herbon, engineer for NMSU's Manufacturing, Technology and Engineering Center. Green chili pod stems must be removed before processing. Around 95 percent of the state's green chili crop is grown for processing, he said. The chili gathered by the harvester will be put through the stem remover, which will be set up at a nearby processing plant. The prototype can also be modified to remove stems from cayenne peppers. Baca said the chili association, a major partner in the trials, is doing all it can to refuel a resurgence of the $325 million chili industry, Baca said. "This is an industry very important to the economy of rural New Mexico and, more importantly, to the cultural identity of New Mexicans," he said. 8/11/08 Date: 8/7/08
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2012. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
|
