<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"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By Eric Anderson<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">3.28.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The USDA has cited United Potato Distributors Inc., dba United Distributors Inc. for failure to pay for produce.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Los Angeles-based company failed to pay $759,820 to 39 sellers for 587 lots of produce in violation of PACA. Consequently, United Potato Distributors Inc., doing business as United Distributors Inc., cannot operate in the produce industry until March 22, 2015, at which time it may reapply for a PACA license.<img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/paca-violation-march-26-2013-cropped.jpg" alt="IMAGES - MARCH 26 2013" />William R. Gerald, the company’s sole principal, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee until March 22, 2014 and then only without the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce companies operating under PACA. The USDA is authorized to suspend or revoke a company’s license for violations of the PACA. All oversight of actions related to the PACA are conducted by AMS, an agency within USDA.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><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"><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"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
