New Mexico to host world's largest meeting on chili peppers

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico State University is preparing to host the world's largest conference dedicated to chili peppers.

The 2020 New Mexico Chile Conference will run Feb. 3-4 at the Las Cruces Convention Center. The university's Chile Pepper Institute has been organizing the annual conference for about three decades.

Chili has long been one of New Mexico's signature crops. It's the state vegetable and the basis for the official state question: 'Å“Red or green?"

The conference draws experts in breeding, processing, pest management and sustainable ways to give growers a competitive advantage. There also will be discussions about the state's chili certification program and how to add value to the harvest.

Organizers also are inviting students to present their pepper-related research during the two-day gathering.