USDA Restricts Georgia Berry and Vegetable and Revival Enterprises From Operating in the Produce Industry

<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%"> Washington, D.C. -</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">3.15.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The USDA has announced that it has imposed sanctions on two produce businesses for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA): Georgia Berry and Vegetable LLC and Revival Enterprises Inc.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Sparks, GA-based Georgia Berry and Vegetable LLC is currently restricted from operating in the produce industry for failure to pay an $17,790 award in favor of a Florida seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Corey R. Beverly, Dennis H. Eller, and Norman G. Houston were listed as members of the business.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Garden Grove, CA-based Revival Enterprises Inc. is also restricted from operating in the produce industry for failure to pay $49,050 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Min Yong Kim and Yang H. Oh were listed as the officers, directors, and major stockholders of the business.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">PACA provides a forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions and outstanding payments. This 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. The USDA is required to impose sanctions on a business that fails to pay PACA reparations as well as impose restrictions against principals held responsible. Those principals held responsibly connected to the business when an order is issued may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA-approval.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating under to the PACA. All oversight of actions related to the PACA are conducted by AMS.</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.</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">