Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) entered into a stipulation agreement with Dustin Conley (Conley) of Cooper, Texas, on March 23, 2021, for alleged violations of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act. Under the terms of the stipulation agreement, Conley waived his rights to a hearing and paid a civil penalty of $1,450.
An investigation by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) revealed Conley failed to pay when due for 18 transactions from May through July 2020.
The P&S Act requires subject entities to issue the full payment for livestock by the close of the first business day following purchase and transfer of possession. Failure to timely pay for livestock purchases is a violation of the P&S Act.
The P&S Act authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to assess civil penalties up to $29,270 per violation against any person after the notice and opportunity for hearing on the record. USDA may offer alleged violators the option of waiving their right to a hearing and enter into a stipulation agreement to quickly resolve alleged violations.
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.
#
Get the latest Agricultural Marketing Service news at www.ams.usda.gov/news or follow us on Twitter
@USDA_AMS. You can also read about us on the USDA blog.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender