<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Washington D.C.<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">1.26.13</span></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The USDA has imposed sanctions on three produce companies for failure to pay reparation awards under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Kingsburg, CA-based Robert Beykpour doing business as B & K Farms, for failing to pay a $33,975 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Robert Beykpour was listed as the sole proprietor of the business.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Stockton, CA-based Mid State Produce, for failing to pay a $16,576 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Selina Hernandez and Ruben Hernandez Jr. were listed as partners of the business.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Las Vegas-based Juan Villaseneor doing business as Viva Produce, for failing to pay a $21,568 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Juan Villaseneor was listed as the sole proprietor of the business.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions, which can result in a reparation order being issued requiring damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. The USDA is required to suspend the license of a business that fails to pay PACA reparations as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsible.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Agricultural Marketing Service, PACA Division, regulates the fair trading practices of produce businesses operating under PACA. </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=TemplateU&navID=&page=Newsroom&resultType=Details&dDocName=STELPRDC5102293&dID=181312&wf=false&description=USDA+Restricts+Three+PACA+Violators+in+California+and+Nevada+from+Operating+in+the+Produce+Industry&topNav=Newsroom&leftNav=&rightNav1=&rightNav2=" target="_new">AMS </ahref="http://www.ams.usda.gov/amsv1.0/ams.fetchtemplatedata.do?template=templateu&navid=&page=newsroom&resulttype=details&ddocname=stelprdc5102293&did=181312&wf=false&description=usda+restricts+three+paca+violators+in+california+and+nevada+from+operating+in+the+produce+industry&topnav=newsroom&leftnav=&rightnav1=&rightnav2="></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
