<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">3.22.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The USDA has cited San Antonio-based Delta Produce LP for failure to pay for produce.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Delta Produce failed to pay $1,504,393 to 56 sellers for 198 lots of produce in violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). Prime Tropical is prohibited from operating in the industry until Feb. 28, 2015, at which time it may reapply for a PACA license.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Company principals W. Scott Jensen and Delta Produce Management LLC, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee until Feb. 28, 2015 at which point the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond is required.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Individuals held responsible for PACA violations may not be employed or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA-approval.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The Agricultural Marketing Service regulates fair trading practices of produce companies operating subject to PACA. The USDA is authorized to suspend or revoke a company’s license for violations.<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. This is just one more way USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.</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">Agricultural Marketing Service </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
