Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, April 2, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a complaint and notice of hearing on Dec. 28, 2020, against Murray Bresky Consultants LTD, doing business as Murray’s Chicken (Murray’s) of South Fallsburg, N.Y., for alleged violations of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act.
An investigation by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) revealed that Murray’s failed to timely pay the full purchase price for poultry.
On Jan. 15, 2021, USDA reached a consent decision and order against Murray’s. Under the consent decision and order, Murray’s is ordered to cease and desist from purchasing poultry in commerce and failing to timely pay the full purchase price of such poultry.
The P&S Act requires subject entities obtaining live poultry by purchases in a cash sale or subject entities obtaining live poultry under a poultry growing arrangement to issue the full payment by the next business day following purchase of the poultry or before the close of the fifteenth day following the week in which the poultry is slaughtered. Failure to timely pay for purchases and failure to issue the full payment for purchases is an unfair trade practice and a violation of the P&S Act.
The P&S Act is a fair trade practice and payment protection law that promotes fair and competitive marketing environments for the livestock, meat, and poultry industries.
For further information about the Packers and Stockyards Act, contact Jeana Harbison, Packers and Stockyards Division, at (202) 720-7051, or by email at Jeana.M.Harbison@usda.gov.
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