Overview

Mild, sweet bell peppers have established themselves as staples in salads and as integral components of almost all sectors of American national and regional cuisine. However, American affection for peppers (Capsicum annuum) is not just limited to the established mild cultivars. The American "hot food craze" is creating ever-increasing demand and local markets for pungent chili pepper condiment products, locally grown fresh peppers and pepper-related productions or products like festivals, clothing, artwork and publications. In the last 5 years, U.S. consumption of peppers has increased, moving from an average of 12 pounds per person in 2001 to 14 pounds in 2006. During that same time, consumption of bell peppers increased from 6.8 to 7.7 pounds.  

California leads the United States in bell pepper production (9.25 million cwt worth $286 million), followed by Florida (4.05 million cwt worth $187 million). In 2006, 17.2 million cwt of bell peppers were grown, valued at nearly $586 million. New Mexico leads the nation in chili pepper production (2.5 million cwt worth $42 million), followed by California (1.7 million cwt worth $39 million). In 2006, 4.8 million cwt of chili peppers were grown, valued at nearly $102 million.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the United States ranked fourth in pepper production in 2005, growing 20 million cwt. With a pepper production of 276 million cwt, China was, by far, the largest producer, followed by Mexico (41 million cwt) and Turkey (39 million cwt).  November 2007 . . . Bell and Chili Peppers

Marketing

• Chili Pepper Institute, New Mexico State University - An international nonprofit organization devoted to education, research, publication and archiving information related to Capsicums or chile peppers. The Institute also seeks to preserve chile germplasm of both cultivated and wild species, and to further the studies of Capsicums diseases.
• Food Info Net - The most comprehensive Internet site for information and services related to food technology, R&D and manufacturing. The site combines the resources of food companies, research and academic institutions, industry suppliers, government agencies, and nonprofit special interest groups, and has a free information search feature.
• Fruit and Vegetable, AMS, USDA - Guides to setting up marketing orders and agreements, guide for small business persons, links to import regulations and quality standards. 
• Fruit and Vegetable Marketing for Small-scale and Part-time Growers, Agricultural Alternatives series, Penn State University Cooperative Extension, 2000 - Outlines a number of strategies for direct marketing, wholesaling and accessing the demand for fresh peppers.
• Green Pepper Commodity Model, National Food and Agricultural Policy Report (NFAPR), Arizona State University - Consumption and price trends for U.S. fruits and vegetables, including bell peppers.
• Increased U.S. Imports of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, ERS, USDA, 2007.
• Simple and Successful Vegetable Farming: How to Sell Your Crops: Marketing, University of Minnesota Extension Service, 2000 - Marketing plan development ideas for small to intermediate size producers.
• U.S. Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Marketing: Emerging Trade Practices, Trends, and Issues, ERS, USDA, 2001 - Evaluation of changing trends from 1994 through 2001. Trade practices include fees such as volume discounts and slotting fees, as well as services like automatic inventory replenishment, special packaging and requirements for third-party food safety certification.

Processing/Manufacturing

• Fiery-Foods.com: The Fiery Foods & Barbecue Super Site - This commercial site has information and links to popular pepper products, trade shows, publications, agronomic information, organic growing tips, pepper condiment industry news, an industry directory for commercial processing supplies, services, or manufacturers (searchable by product, service, or geographic state location), as well as a number of other trade- and consumer-oriented topics. 
• Bell Pepper Post Harvest Information, Postharvest Research and Information Center, University of California, Davis - Storage-temperature-related information. If this link is difficult to connect to, try http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/ and type <pepper> into the search window.
• Quality Standards for Fresh Other Peppers, AMS, USDA, 2007.
• Quality Standards for Fresh Sweet Peppers, AMS, USDA, 2005. 
• Roasting Fresh Chili Peppers - Chilies roasted over an open flame or in the oven impart a delicious smoky flavor to salsas or any dish that uses chilies. Roasted or smoked peppers (chipotle) are used in many traditional dishes and condiments from the Southwestern United States. Gourmetsleuth.com is a gourmet food and cooking resource at http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/index.asp. The goal of the site is inform and educate people interested in food, cooking and eating through culinary and "how-to" articles on various foods and cooking topics applicable to producers considering developing new value-added products. 

Production

• Bell Pepper, Vegetable Research and Information Center, University of California Cooperative Extension - This site provides fact sheets on bell pepper production in California, production costs, integrated pest management and postharvest.
• Bell Pepper Production, Agricultural Alternatives, Penn State University, 2000.
• Bell Peppers, Vegetables and Melons Outlook, ERS, USDA, 2001.
• Bell Peppers, Dole Reference Center Encyclopedia.
• Bell Peppers and Chile Peppers, Vegetables and Melons, Briefing Room, ERS, USDA.
• Bell Peppers Enterprise Budget, Clemson University, 2006 - A production analysis for bell peppers on plastic with drip irrigation.
• California Commodity Profile - Bell Peppers, Agricultural Issues Center, University of California, 2002.
• Chile Peppers, Vegetables and Melons Outlook, ERS, USDA, 2001. 
• Chili Pepper, Vegetable Research and Information Center, University of California Cooperative Extension - This site provides fact sheets on chili pepper production in California, production costs, integrated pest management and postharvest.  
• Food Tales: Peppers - Nice glossary of information on pepper types. A very good introduction to the myriad of edible pepper varieties including recipes, handling safety, pepper usage history and clever literary citations.
• Growing Chiles in New Mexico, New Mexico State University, 2004.  
• Hot Pepper Web Ring - Ring-of-fire web ring for "chili-head" enthusiasts, products, food product development and plant culture information. Perhaps the most complete index for Fiery Food information on the Internet. It has been extensively featured in the media.
• Pepper, Midwest Vegetable Production Guide, Purdue University, 2007.
• Peppers, Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers, University of Kentucky, 2006-07.
• Peppers Fact Sheet, University of Illinois Extension - Information site on pepper varieties, planting times, plant spacing and depth, care, harvesting, common problems, and a "growing FAQ." Other information includes sections on selection and storage, related nutrition and health information, home preservation and recipe tips.
• Sweet Peppers: Saved by the Bell, Agricultural Outlook, ERS, USDA, 2001. 
• Vegetables, NASS, USDA - This report, issued 5 times a year, provides data on bell peppers, including area harvested, prospective area, yield and production for major states.

Businesses/Case Studies

• Chili Peppers, Farmer Profiles, Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education (SARE), USDA - This program provides producer profiles explaining how specific farmers are exploring sustainability.
• The Great Chilli Farm - South African source for seeds. Also has an on-line description and tour of their seed and pepper production and processing facilities. This is a model large-scale commercial operation with world-wide marketing and distribution via the Internet. A simple virtual tour that shows some of their facilities and pepper-specific processing equipment is available at http://www.chillifarm.com/growing_chillies/the_farm.asp.
• Pepper Fool - Example of an Internet mail-order business. Source for seeds, information and their chili products. Photographic guide to a number of varieties, and a lot of links to various vendors.
• Santa Cruz Farm, AgMRC, Iowa State University, 2005 - This farm grows 76 different varieties of crops the entire 12 months of the year and bases their entire farm profitability on direct farm marketing, including local farmers’ markets, a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program and wholesale accounts.

 Links checked February 2008.