Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.”
Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a proposed rule focused on measures produce farmers and packers should take to prevent the contamination of fresh fruits and vegetables. The agency is collecting comments about the rule through May 16 before finalizing it.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is hosting a listening session on Feb. 20 in Raleigh so produce farmers and packers can learn more about the proposed rule. They’ll have the opportunity to ask questions during the session, which will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Scott Building at the State Fairgrounds.
FDA’s produce safety rule could mean big changes for produce farmers and packers, so it’s critical that they learn everything they can about it. This listening session is an opportunity for producers and packers to hear directly from FDA officials and get answers to their questions. At the meeting, FDA Deputy Commissioner Michael Taylor and James Gorny, senior advisor for produce safety, will present information about the rule.
People interested in attending the session are asked to register at www.ncagr.gov/FDAlisten, so that organizers can get an estimate of how many people will attend. Anyone with questions about the event should contact Christina Waggett at 919-707-3008.
In the audio link below, Commissioner Troxler talks with Rhonda about the listening session and why it’s so important for North Carolina farmers to weigh in on the FDA’s rule proposal.
[Audio:http://info.ncagr.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Troxler_2-12.mp3|titles=Today’s Topic for Feb. 12]
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