Say it Ain't So, Joe (Parker)

KOAT TV - International competition is threatening New Mexico's chile, and officials said Wednesday chile from China might be in locals' next burrito.
The New Mexico Chile Association said countries like China are trying to corner some chile markets. Currently, imports account for 82 percent of the U.S. consumption of chile, officials said. New Mexico is the leading state for chile production, with tens of thousands of acres of cultivation and more than 2,000 varieties of chiles. However, NMCA said in the past 10 years, the number of acres harvested in New Mexico has decreased by more than 60 percent.
But Mick's Chile Fix owner Mick Sweiss said his restaurant buys only New Mexico chile. "(Chile) is indigenous to New Mexico. I can't even imagine buying from China. They don't know anything about green chili the New Mexico style," Sweiss said. Sweiss said cheaper imported chile will never be served at his restaurant. "I would rather pay an extra dollar or two for my New Mexican chili," Sweiss said. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Say it Ain't So, Joe (Parker)