The USDA has imposed sanctions on four produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased, according to a news release.
In addition, the firms were sanctioned because they failed 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.
The followig businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- MR D Fruit & Produce Inc., operating out of Miami, for failing to pay a $46,700 award in favor of a Florida seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Diosdado Hernandez and Alberto Hernandez were listed as the officers, directors and major shareholders of the business.
- Andean Fresh Fruit Corp., operating out of Aventura, Fla., for failing to pay a $117,280 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Francisco Dabike, Wagner Bayas and Wilhelm Zimmermann were listed as the officers, directors and major shareholders of the business.
- BMP Trading Inc., operating out of Miami Lakes, Fla., for failing to pay a $13,491 award in favor of a New York seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Joaquin Lopez was listed as the sole officer, director and stockholder of the business.
- A&S Broadway Produce, Inc., operating out of Yonkers, N.Y., for failing to pay a $23,216 award in favor of a New York seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Steve Papakonstantis and Anthony Sciandra were listed as the officers, directors and major shareholders of the business.
For more information, contact Penny Robinson-Landrigan, chief for the Dispute Resolution Branch, at (202) 720-2890 or PACAdispute@usda.gov.
