New reports have found that the annual production of chile in New Mexico has decreased, causing new challenges for chile farmers and restaurants throughout the state. 

The new numbers come from MarketPlace, which reports that according to the New Mexico Chile Association, the state's production of chile has decreased by 75% from its peak, dropping from 34,000 acres during the 90s to only about 8,000 acres in October of 2021, according to MarketPlace. 

"Labor shortages are impacting our chile industry!" said Jay C. Block, a candidate for New Mexico governor, in a tweet on Tuesday. "New Mexico needs to get more people working. Our chile crops are already down 75% from their peak, we need to preserve and protect what we can."

For farmers that grow chile, one of the biggest issues they face is simply finding the workers to pick the chiles in the field. Even though researchers are currently working on developing a mechanical harvester, there has yet to be any farm equipment that can harvest chiles without manual labor due to their delicate skins, according to MarketPlace.

In addition to an overall labor shortage brought about by the pandemic, water shortages that have only increased over the last decade have also hindered chile crops. Chiles, which rely heavily on water and are sensitive to changing climate conditions, have also been impacted by the worsening 20-year drought, extreme heat, and more erratic weather. 

In hopes of spurring more laborers in the fields, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham allocated $5 million in CARES Act funds as an incentive program specifically for the chile industry that will allow farmers to hire pickers at $19.50 an hour for this year's season, according to MarketPlace.