FDA reductions mean less money for food safety at New Mexico Department of Agriculture

It might be time to give those veggies another wash.

The New Mexico Department of Agriculture has reported its funding for a produce safety program — which stems from an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — has been reduced by nearly 40% in the current fiscal year, from an expected $580,000 to about $353,000.

The reduction in funding won’t affect the state Department of Agriculture’s regular inspections, in which monitors ensure farmers have good safety practices for growing, harvesting, packing and holding produce, said Katie Laney, assistant director of the department’s Agriculture Production Services Division.

However, the change will require the department to scale back the frequency of its required farmer training sessions from near-monthly in previous years to fo