<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">5.8.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The U.S.D.A. has ruled on two produce companies, Lucas Brothers Inc. and Liborio Markets #7 Inc.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> <img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/hl_usda_paca_may_2013_BANNER.jpg" alt="images 050913" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Riverview, FL-based Lucas Brothers Inc. failed to pay $242,386 to nine sellers for 42 lots of product in of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). Consequently, the company is restricted from operation in the produce industry until April 19, 2015, at which time it may reapply for a PACA license. Principals, Orfanel Lucas and Victor Lucas, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee until April 19, 2014.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/hl_usda_paca_may_2013_body03.jpg" alt="images 050913" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Colorado-based Liborio Markets #7 Inc. allegedly failed to make full payments to 15 sellers totaling $165,693 from February 2011 and December 2011. The company will have an opportunity to request a hearing. If it is found that that the company committed repeated and flagrant violations, it would be barred from the produce industry for two years and its principals could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for one year.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 5,000 claims filed under 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&navID=Home&topNav=Home&page=Home&acct=AMSPW" target="_new"> AMS </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
