<p> Burnand and Co. Inc and Original Defeo Produce Inc. have been sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA), according to an Agricultural Marketing Service news release.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions, which may result in a reparation order being issued that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanction on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Both businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Burnand and Co. Inc, operating out of Rio Rico, AZ, is being sanctioned for failing to pay a $54,008 award in favor of an Arizona seller. Kenneth W. Olmos and Frances Olmos were listed as the officers, directors, and/or major stockholders of the business.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Original Defeo Produce, Inc., operating out of Kansas City, MO, is being sanctioned for failing to pay a $21,095 award in favor of a Pennsylvania seller. Nicholas J. Defeo was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business. </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">
