The USDA has filed an administrative complaint against Berry People LLC for alleged violations of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.
The company, operating from California, allegedly failed to make payment promptly to 19 produce sellers in the amount of $3,519,748 from December 2022 through August 2023, according to a news release.
Berry People LLC will have an opportunity to request a hearing. Should USDA find that the company committed repeated and flagrant violations, it would be barred from the produce industry as a licensee for three years, or two years with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond, the release said. Furthermore, its principals could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for two years, or one year with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
For more information, contact Corey Elliott, chief of the Investigative Enforcement Branch, at 202-720-6873 or PACAInvestigations@usda.gov.
