Mexico: Sader and Chihuahua agree to strengthen safety in vegetable production

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) and the Government of Chihuahua have entered into a partnership to enhance the safety of vegetable production, including onions and chili peppers, to benefit farmers and consumers. This initiative will adopt a Pollution Risk Reduction Systems (SRRC) approach to prevent contamination from physical, chemical, and microbiological agents. Initially, onions will be included, with other vegetables possibly following. The goal is to increase the international competitiveness of Mexican vegetables by meeting US FDA standards, with a focus on water quality, pesticide management, worker hygiene, and packaging operations. The partnership aims to improve the quality of Chihuahua's onions, noted as the best in Mexico, by certifying more producers under SRRC, supporting food safety programs, and implementing good agricultural practices. This will be accompanied by training and support for producers and exporting companies to obtain necessary certification, potentially leading to the 'Green List' status for certified producers, enabling export without inspections.