The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on five produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- America Berry Farms Inc. (Fillmore, California) for failing to pay $6,000 in favor of a Missouri seller. Adrian Mendez and Bertha F. Fernandez were listed as the officers, directors, and/or major stockholders of the business.
- Tonys Tomatos Inc. (Forest Park, Georgia) for failing to pay $19,165 in favor of a Georgia seller. Antonio L. Bautista was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
- A & P Produce LLC (Neptune, N.J.) for failing to pay $55,456 in favor of a Texas seller. Elicelsa Draiz and Pedro M. Iniguez Wale were listed as the members of the business.
- Proof Fresh Inc. (Waldwick, N.J.) for failing to pay $24,570 in favor of a Texas seller. Mauricia Vergara was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
- Idea Fresh LLC (Pharr, Texas) for failing to pay $43,000 in favor of a Texas seller. Hugo Gonzalez was listed as the member of the business.
- Fernando Armijo Garcia, doing business as Armijo's Distributors (Dallas, Texas) for failing to pay $46,134 in favor of a Texas seller. Fernando Armijo Garcia was the sole proprietor of the business.
- Mi Tierra Dist. LLC (Pharr, Texas) for failing to pay $11,400 in favor of a California seller. Manuela Cantu and Ruben Cantu were listed as officers, directors, and major stockholders of the business.
- Jerry Produce Corp. (Miami, Florida) for failing to pay $34,062 in favor of a Florida seller. Gerardo Gomez was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
- Choice Farm Inc. (Patterson, N.J.) for failing to pay $61,209 in favor of a New York seller. Jai Eui Song was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
- Ramirez Family Corp. (Portland, Oregon) for failing to pay $7,009 in favor of a California seller. Nelva Ramirez Sierra and Gilberto Ramirez Mendez were listed as officers, directors, and major stockholders of the business.
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.
Click here for an overview of companies that previously violated PACA.
For more information:
Penny Robinson-Landrigan
USDA
Tel.: +1 (202) 720-2890
[email protected]
www.ams.usda.gov