The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Itamp Inc. satisfied a $26,912 reparation order issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) involving unpaid produce transactions.
The Dallas, TX company can continue operating in the produce industry upon applying for and being issued a PACA license. Luis Armando Lopez was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business and may now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.
The USDA has also imposed sanctions on five produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under PACA.
The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- Melonco LLC, Chandler, AZ for failing to pay $159,143 in favor of an Arizona seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Billan K. Balbir was listed as the member/manager of the business.
- Monarca Family Farms LLC, of Los Angeles, CA for failing to pay $253,710 in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Kimberly Espinoza was listed as the member/manager of the business.
- Berry & Sons Produce LLC of Bunnell, FL for failing to pay $9,487 in favor of a North Carolina seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Karlin Berry and Adrianna Campbell were listed as members of the business.
- Chandler Topic Company Inc. of Minnetonka, MN for failing to pay $60,853 in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, William Jones and William Jones, Jr., were listed as the officers, directors and major stockholders of the business.
- Kay Lookash Produce of Vineland, NJ for failing to pay $21,300 in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Kelly Nakash was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.
PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in USDA’s issuance of a reparation order that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.
Once a reparation order is fully satisfied and it is confirmed there are not any outstanding unpaid awards, USDA lifts the employment restrictions of the previously named, responsibly connected individuals. USDA also requires any unlicensed company that fully satisfies all unpaid reparation awards to obtain a license if it continues to operate in the industry.
Click here for an overview of companies that previously violated PACA.
For more information:
John Koller
USDA
Tel: +1 202 720 2890
[email protected]
www.ams.usda.gov
