WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2013 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cited Casa De Campo Inc., of Paterson, N.J., for failure to pay for produce and found that Havana Produce Inc., of Paterson, N.J., is unfit to be licensed under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
Casa De Campo Inc. failed to pay $373,989.88 to 20 sellers for 109 lots of produce. This is in violation of PACA. As a result of these actions, Casa De Campo Inc. cannot operate in the produce industry until Nov. 9, 2014, at which time it may reapply for a PACA license.
The USDA also found that Havana Produce Inc. is unfit to be licensed under the PACA for the reason that Havana Produce Inc. is a continuation of the operations of Casa De Campo Inc. Havana Produce Inc. was found to have violated the PACA by expressly offering employment to Pedro H. Perez.
The company’s principals, Lilia J. Perez and Pedro H. Perez, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee until Nov. 9, 2013, and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
Under PACA provisions, those individuals held responsibly connected to PACA violations including sole proprietors, partners, members, officers, directors, and 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 companies operating subject to the PACA, which includes buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry. The USDA is authorized to suspend or revoke a company’s license for violations of the PACA. All oversight of actions related to the PACA are conducted by AMS, an agency within USDA.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 5,000 claims filed under the PACA involving $96 million. This is just one more way USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
For further information, contact Josephine E. Jenkins, Acting Chief, Investigative Enforcement Branch, at (202) 720-6873, by fax at (202) 720-8868, or by email atInvestigativeEnforcement@ams.usda.gov.
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