USDA restricts PACA violators in Texas, Florida and New York

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, or PACA.

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 Florida Products Inc., operating out of Tampa, Fla., for failing to pay a $70,617 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Tareq Damra was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.
• Quality Foods Produce Inc., operating out of Port St. Lucie, Fla., for failing to pay a $32,302 award in favor of a Utah seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Jose Perez was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.
• US Fresh Corp., operating out of Bronx, N.Y., for failing to pay a $33,616 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Gonzalo Jaramillo was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.
• The Great Produce LLC, operating out of Pharr, Texas, for failing to pay a $46,232 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Juan Jose Hernandez Perez, Javier Torres Sesin, Yamil Torres Tanus and Juan Carlos Cruz Castro were listed as members of the business.

For more information, contact John Koller, Chief, Dispute Resolution Branch, at (202) 720-2890 or PACAdispute@usda.gov.