The USDA has filed an administrative complaint against Valvilla Produce LLC (Valvilla) for alleged violations of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.
The company, operating from Texas, allegedly failed to make payment promptly to three produce sellers in the amount of $1,493,960 from February 2020 through May 2020, according to a Jan. 5 news release.
Valvilla 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 PACA Investigative Enforcement Branch, at (202) 720-6873 or PACAInvestigations@usda.gov.
