WASHINGTON, May 13, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that 2JM Produce LLC satisfied a $3,563 reparation order issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) involving unpaid produce transactions.
The Edinburg, Texas, company can continue operating in the produce industry upon applying for and being issued a PACA license. Joel Carcano, Jr., was listed as the manager and member of the business and may now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.
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. USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals d
USDA restricts PACA violators in California and Texas
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has 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 the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. 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.
The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
Fresh by Nature Inc., operating out of Norco, Calif., for failing to pay a $22,421 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Manuel R. Pinon was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.