<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Washington D.C.-</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By ANUK Staff<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">2.21.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The USDA has cited Avocado Importers International Inc., doing business as Ultimate Avocado for failure to pay for produce.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The McAllen, Texas-based company failed to pay $813,573 to five sellers for 35 lots of produce in violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). As a result of these actions, the USDA and Avocado Importers International Inc., doing business as Ultimate Avocado, entered into a consent decision barring the company from operating in the produce industry until Feb. 1, 2015, at which time it may reapply for a PACA license.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The company’s only principal, Jay C. Humphreys, may not be employed by, or affiliated with any PACA licensee until Feb. 1, 2014, and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Under PACA provisions, those individuals held responsible fort PACA violations including sole proprietors, partners, members, officers, directors, and stockholders, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA-approval.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce companies operating under PACA. The USDA is authorized to suspend or revoke a company’s license for violations of the PACA. All oversight of actions related to the PACA are conducted by AMS, an agency within USDA.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 5,000 claims filed under the PACA involving $96 million. This is just one more way USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateA&navID=Home&topNav=Home&page=Home&acct=AMSPW" target="_new">Agricultural Marketing Service</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
