Sen. Ben Ray Lujan and several of the state’s agricultural groups recently met to discuss the future of farming in New Mexico. They focused on the impact of land management, San Juan food banks and extending critical programs in the 2023 farm bill.
The objective of the meeting was to improve upon the plight of farmers who have struggled to recover from the impacts of the pandemic and recent wildfires. The meeting, however, comes too late for Glen Duggins, a chile farmer from Socorro County, who has decided to call it quits after almost 40 years of farming.
“You know, every kid has a dream," Duggins told KOB. "I had one, and I just couldn’t leave it alone. I think you’re born a farmer, I don’t think everybody can be. I went into chile and we doubled, and we doubled, and we doubled, and we doubled to where we got that truck, we even couldn’t haul it in the truck.”
His product isn’t doubling anymore. In fact, the situation is much worse. “I can’t have another year like last year,” he said.
He told KOB he may have fields of chile to harvest but no one to pick it. “It’s not the pay,” he said. “Nobody wants to work.”
He points to strapped bales that contain 1,000 empty sacks in every bale. “I have like 13,000 that never got filled,” he said.
The challenges have become too great to continue.
“When you have a member of your family that has died, it’s so heartbreaking,” he said. “But when it’s over, when the funeral passes, somehow it gives you closure and a little peace, and that’s where I’m at.”
Duggins is hoping things will improve for other farmers and urged the Roundhouse to provide more support. He said current state policies are more of a hindrance than helpful.
“They’re not disconnected, they’re completely unplugged,” Duggins said. “We have non-farmers making policy for the farmers.”