As part of its efforts to enforce the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act and ensure fair trading practices within the U.S. produce industry, the Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on five produce businesses for failing to meet their contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the PACA.

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

• AM Group Inc., operating out of Fresno, CA, for failing to pay a $78,874 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Christopher Kim was listed as the officer, director and/or major stockholder of the business.
• V&M Fresh Produce LLC, operating out of Tampa, FL, for failing to pay an $18,973 award in favor of a Florida seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Emilia Merchan was listed as a member or manager of the business.
• John Lee Jr., doing business as Produce Perfection, operating out of Vernon, CA, for failing to pay a $17,228, award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, John S. Lee, Jr., was listed as the sole proprietor of the business.
• Start Produce Inc., operating out of San Antonio, TX, for failing to pay a $8,299 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Rohen Pimentel was listed as the officer, director and/or major stockholder of the business.
• New York Produce Inc., operating out of Secaucus, NJ, for failing to pay a $2,394 award in favor of a New Jersey seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Elio Valdivia was listed as the officer, director and/or major stockholder of the business.

These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators of the businesses from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA. By issuing these penalties, USDA continues to enforce the prompt and full payment for produce while protecting the rights of sellers and buyers in the marketplace.

In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 7,800 callers with issues valued at approximately $148 million.