Nadine Wilkins (202)720-8998Nadine.wilkins@ams.usda.gov
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2012 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) imposed sanctions on two businesses for failure to pay reparation awards under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operation in the produce industry:
--Sun Belt Commodities Inc., operating out of Houston, Texas, for failure to pay a $14,366 reparation award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Daniel Chen and James C. Lai were listed as the officers, directors, and major stockholders of the business.
--Top Tomato Company, operating out of Pompano Beach, Fla., for failure to pay a $15,120 reparation award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Jeff Pfaff was listed as the sole officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
PACA provides for an administrative forum to handle disputes over produce transactions; this may result in a reparation order being issued that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. The USDA is required to suspend the license of a business or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA-approval.
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to the PACA, which includes buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry. All oversight of actions related to the PACA are conducted by the AMS, an agency within the USDA.
In fiscal year 2011, USDA resolved approximately 2,000 claims filed under the PACA involving $31 million. This is just one more way the USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
For more information, contact John Koller, Chief, Dispute Resolution Branch at (202) 720-2890, by fax at (202) 690-2815, or by email at disputeresolutionsection@ams.usda.gov regarding this matter.
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