USDA restricts four PACA violators

The USDA has imposed sanctions on four produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.

These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators of the businesses from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA, according to a news release.

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

• Fresh Life Co., operating out of Moreno Valley, Calif., for failing to pay a $15,780 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Gabriel Gomez and Rose Mata were listed as the officers, directors and/or major stockholders of the business.
• Dukarani Food Processing Inc., operating out of Minneapolis, for failing to pay an $11,040 award in favor of an Illinois seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Fomba S. Konjan and Mohammed Dukuly were listed as the officers, directors and/or major stockholders of the business.
• New Start Produce Group LLC, operating out of Dallas, for failing to pay a $33,214 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Carlos Chavez and Ruben Ayala were listed as the members of the business.
• Nationwide Foods LLC, operating out of Grand Prairie, Texas, for failing to pay a $12,243 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Rosario Lanao was listed as the manager of the business.

For more information, contact Penny Robinson-Landrigan, chief at the Dispute Resolution Branch, at (202) 720-2890 or PACAdispute@usda.gov.