USDA Files Actions Against J&S Produce

<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">2.22.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p> The USDA has announced that it has filed an administrative action under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) against J&amp;S Produce Corp.<img src="http://anuk.s3.amazonaws.com/cropped_images/PACA_J%26S_BODY3.jpg" alt="Cropped Images Friday 02222013" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Illinois-based company allegedly failed to pay 13 produce sellers in the amount of $1,743,162 from December 2009 through April 2012.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">J&amp;S Produce Corp. will have an opportunity to request a hearing. If the USDA finds that the company committed repeated and flagrant violations, it would be barred from the produce industry for two years. Furthermore, its principals could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for one year, and not without the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Agricultural Marketing Service, PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce companies operating under PACA. The PACA establishes a code of business conduct for the produce industry. Under it, all interstate traders in fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables must be licensed by USDA. USDA is authorized to suspend or revoke a trader’s license for violating the act.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 5,000 claims filed under the PACA involving $96 million.</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&amp;navID=Home&amp;topNav=Home&amp;page=Home&amp;acct=AMSPW" target="_new">Agricultural Marketing Service</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">