A labor shortage that has befallen New Mexico’s chile farms prompted the state government in Santa Fe to intervene.
KOB4 reported that chile farmers are struggling to find staff just as the harvest season is about to commence.
Enter $5 million to address the crisis.
"This 5 million will go a long way to provide incentives for hourly wages and to assist our industry," New Mexico Lt. Gov. Howie Morales told the station.
It is unclear, however, as to how the funds are going to be distributed since the details are being discussed.
Morales said the problem dates back to even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The reality of it is this has been years in the making, even before there was COVID, even before unemployment benefits were available, the workforce shortage has been there in this industry for many years," the lieutenant governor to KOB4.
The money is likely to assist chile farmers such as Five Star Chile’s Glen Duggins.
Duggins, who has been harvesting chile for at least 30 years, told KOAT7 that there’s disinterest in working on a chile farm.
His workforce consists of two people.
"I have an 80-year-old man and I have a 14-year-old, actually he's good, very good. That's my crew, so now I have two,” he told KOAT.