The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on eight 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). 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 approval from USDA.
The businesses/individuals currently restricted from operating in the produce industry are:
- Five Star Produce Central Alabama LLC (Birmingham, Ala.) for failing to pay $750 in favor of an Alabama seller. Donald P. Hinkle was listed as the manager and member of the business.
- Mr. Felix Produce Sales LLC (Rio Rico, Ariz.) for failing to pay $9,996 in favor of an Arizona seller. Uriel Felix Sr. was listed as the member and manager of the business.
- Anusaya Fresh United States LLC (City of Industry, Calif.) for failing to pay $18,689 in favor of a California seller. Dinesh Shinde was listed as the member and manager of the business.
- La Mera Buena Produce Inc. (Saint Paul, Minn.) for failing to pay $44,629 in favor of a Texas seller. Ramiro Hernandez Marquez was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
- Royalhalo LLC (Wilmington, Del.) for failing to pay $11,707 in favor of a Florida seller. Ricardo Hernandez, Royalhalo Holdings SAPI de CV, and Royalhalo Holding B.V. were listed as managers and members of the business.
- Ruby J Farms LLC (Nogales, Ariz.) for failing to pay $31,438 in favor of a Texas seller. Anthony J. Comella was listed as the member and manager of the business.
- Doug Specialties LLC (Pompano Beach, Fla.) for failing to pay $4,921 in favor of a Washington seller. Doug Habe was listed as the member and manager of the business.
- Choice Farm Inc. (Patterson, N.J.) for failing to pay $21,895 in favor of a New York seller. Jai Eui Song was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
USDA has also filed an administrative complaint against two companies, starting with Hurst Produce and Flowers Corp. for alleged violations of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). The company, operating from Pennsylvania, allegedly failed to make payment promptly to nine produce sellers for $296,668 from September 2022 through November 2023.
It has also filed a complaint against Tomato House LLC, operating from Texas, for allegedly failing to make payment promptly to three produce sellers of $174,458 from December 2022 through February 2023.
Click here for an overview of companies that previously violated PACA.
For more information:
Corey Elliott
USDA
Tel: +1 (202) 720-6873
PACAInvestigations@usda.gov
www.ams.usda.gov
Penny Robinson-Landrigan
USDA
Tel.: +1 (202) 720-2890
PACAdispute@usda.gov
www.ams.usda.gov