USDA restricts five PACA violators
USDA restricts five PACA violators
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on five produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and for failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.
These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators of the businesses from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without USDA approval.
The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- Texas Green Star LLC, operating out of Sanger, TX, for failing to pay a $59,312 award in favor of a Texas. seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Curtis Blagburn, Cesaer Rodriguez and Giraldie Aguilar were listed as managers/members of the business.
- National Produce and Farm Products LLC, operating out of Brooksville, FL, for failing to pay a $53,285 award in favor of an Idaho seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Timothy Plumadore was listed as the manager of the business.
- Del Valle Fresh Inc., operating out of Roebuck, SC, for failing to pay a $27,397 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Esmeralda Sandoval was listed as the officer, director and stockholder of the business.
- Tropifresh Corp., operating out of Miami, for failing to pay a $17,258 award in favor of a Florida seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Yasmin Molina was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.
- MingsBings Inc., operating out of Natick, MA, for failing to pay a $7,556 award in favor of a New Jersey seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Ming Tsai was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.
PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in USDA’s issuance of a reparation order that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.
By issuing these penalties, USDA continues to enforce the prompt and full payment for produce while protecting the rights of sellers and buyers in the marketplace.
