<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%"> Washington, DC</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By Eric Anderson<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">05.08.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The U.S.D.A. has cited Market 52 Inc for failure to pay for produce.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/hl_usda_may_2013_body00.jpg" alt="images 050813" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Kingsburg, California-based company failed to pay $842,429 to nine sellers for 48 lots of produce. Consequently, Market 52 Inc is restricted from operating in the produce industry until April 20, 2015, when it may reapply for a PACA license.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Jerald D. Downs, the company’s sole principal, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee until April 20, 2014.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates the fair trading practices of produce companies operating under PACA.In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 5,000 claims filed under PACA involving $96 million.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><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">
